That Endless Summer
by sevenpuddings
Summary: Second story in the Summer Series. What will happen in this summer of change, when their worlds are turned upside down by an impending change? Expect drama and romance, with returning evils and trips to the Cape.
1. Chapter 1: What's past is prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing. 

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter One: What's past is prologue._

"_Starting out just like any summer  
__days have felt the life time love"  
__-Now and Then, Susanna Hoffs_

Reaching over to my Ipod, I turned the volume control up and let Nirvana's 'Nevermind' fill my ears. I lay back down onto my stomach, and pulled my sunglasses over my eyes, letting the warmth of summer wash over me once again.

Sighing, I wondered if it were possible to be any boarder than this. School was over.

For good.

It had been for a while now. Well, for a month. Which is why I was now so damn bored. Weeks of endless sun baking and letting loose had come and gone. And sometimes, there were only so much of these activities one could handle.

Lying next to Cassie, while Ric and Luke sat out in the water waiting for the next good set of waves, my mind flashed back to the boredom I had felt last summer, and how different it felt to this new boredom. I was bored because there was nothing to do now. Last summer I was under the mistaken idea that I was bored with my life. How wrong I had been.

That summer changed the course of the year that had come and gone. While we don't speak of the events that occurred, we all know that we're better because of it. Together we can stand united against the evils of the world.

Or the boredom that was Summer Bay.

The bonds are yet to be broken again. But the bonds are also yet to be tested again. We all grew from that summer. Grew up, made certain decisions. We all changed.

Yet we'd managed to keep the little clique we'd come to know and love. No one could touch us in our last year of school. But this summer posed new and unanswered questions about bigger things. About our futures, our adulthood, and what lives we would lead.

While we had tried as best as possible to block out the looming threat of separation during this year. Focusing on something, anything to take out minds off it, we all knew it had to be faced one day, and that day continued to grow closer as summer arrived in full force in the bay.

We had gone back to school bruised and battered, but not broken. We had grown stronger and stronger as the months went on, talking more to one another. Trusting within ourselves, and within our relationships. For Cassie, Luke and myself, school and studying had become one of our main priorities.

Cassie worked hard in PE and Science, hoping to gain a spot in one of the best Physical Education and Psychology courses Australia had to offer in the prestigious University of New South Wales.

Luke focused on his maths, much to my horror, and had spent hours slaving away at equations and functions over the weekends. His heart was set on accounting, and no matter how hard I tried, he wouldn't change his mind. His argument was that I had enough creativeness for the both of us in our relationship.

And I couldn't fight with him there.

Torn between Art, English and Drama, I was the least certain out of the three of us about my future. For the first time in my life (last summer aside) I had no direction. Something that both excited and scared the hell out of me. Especially with Cassie and Luke so certain about their own futures.

Ric stuck out school because we were there. He spent lots of time in woodwork and metalwork, and at the TAFE link courses offered in car maintenance and repairs. And while he applied to University, we all knew that it was the last place he wanted to be.

Together we worked our way thought the highs and the (many) lows that came with year twelve. Assignments seemed to multiple each week, as soon as you finished one, there were two more sitting there, just waiting to be started. Second term was the worst of them all, but as each of us became ready to throw in the towel and give up, another would step in, offer support and help us out of the car wreck we'd managed to get ourselves into.

That was just how we dealt with everything.

Eighteenth birthdays became minimal celebrations, as we all opted for dinner with the family rather that massive parties full of people we either didn't know or didn't really like.

But the two most exciting events of the year came with Martha and Jack.

They had a lovely autumn ceremony on the beach, their closest friends and family in attendance. As with all beach weddings, the bride looked stunning in a knee length white peasant dress, her hair blowing with the slight wind that was on us. The groom had chosen cream trousers and an open collared white shirt.

Together they radiated love and trust, and as I watched on, I knew that together they could take on the world. There is a hint of a bump in those photos that grew and grew as the months progressed, until crappy August rolled along.

Right in the middle of trials, major works and major performance's, Isabella Maria Holden announced herself into the world, kicking and screaming, but winning everyone's hearts, as only Jack and Martha's child could. August 17th, 2007. That's when the most spoiled (in a good way) child was born into the world. A playmate for Robbie and Tasha's beautiful boy Matthew, a granddaughter for Tony, a niece for Luke, and another child for Mum, Sally, Cassie and I to faun over.

She almost made crappy August just plain August.

Almost, but nothing could completely take away the pain that month caused, with hand aches from writing, and headaches from too much studying and not enough sleep.

Then came the dreaded holidays. On the other side of these lay the exams that would decide our lives. So we studied. In the house. In the park. On the beach. In the diner. Together, we crammed as much knowledge into our minds. We actually tried.

On reflection, I can't actually remember the month that followed. There are bits and pieces in my head, but not full hours, nor full days. Just aspects of one exam, or the feeling of utter joy the moment you wanted out of another, able to tick it off your list.

The month after the exams is just as blurred. A month of endless celebration, or formal's and parties, or drunken moments, stolen moments between couples, between friends. Moments that had been pushed aside during the last months when you simply focused on yourself.

The formal was a night to remember. Mum and Sally made us pose for what seemed like thousands of photos before they almost began to cry. Thankfully, Tony had shoved us out the door only moments before, telling us to behave and have a good time.

Cassie and I looked stunning. Selecting the more semi-formal approach, we'd scouted around almost every shop on offer here in Summer Bay and Yabbie Creek before finding them.

The perfect dress.

For each of us.

Cassie looked elegant yet classy in pale yellow, her hair swept off her face, her slim legs looking even longer where the halter dress ended at her knees. She had chosen simple thongs instead of strappy heels, which completed her simple, yet stunning look.

My black shoestring strap dress fell to mid-thigh, soft layers of silk and chiffon flowed with each step I took. My small black heels added a few centimeters to my height, while my hair flowed to the middle of my back in soft curls. I had chosen the more seductive, sultry look. And pulled it off with style.

The boys looked equally as gorgeous in the tuxedos. Ric had chosen a plain black suit with a dark shirt and pale yellow tie to match Cassie's dress, while Luke had found a black pinstripe suit, which he wore with an open collard white shirt, no tie.

Together, we'd have stolen the show had we tried. But mostly, we only cared about letting out hair down and having fun, because it'd been so long since we'd done that.

I don't even remember laughing as much as we had that night. Eventually we'd wound up on the stretch of beach about one hundred meters down from our house, with alcohol and a bonfire. With Luke's jacket around my shoulder, I'd cuddled into him as we each took turns telling stories about anything that came into our heads.

About when we first met. Or our first memory of Summer Bay. Our first feelings about living here, or how we managed to end up just like this. Or about whom we'd forget at school. Who we'd always remember. What we'd always remember about our final years in the educational system. What we couldn't wait to forget about school.

We just told truths, about our pasts, our futures, or our here and now's. And as the sun rose on the horizon, with all the reds, oranges and yellows merging into the fading dark blue sky, I began to feel a certain type of heat on my face. Shutting my eyes tight, soaking in the rays, I remember thinking that morning, of only one thing.

Summer. It was coming in full force.

Together we'd slowly ambled back to our house that morning, and just crashed into bed. Months and months of continuous work finally catching up with us. None of us emerged for longer than half an hour in the next twenty-four. We just slept. Slept off everything that had happened in the past year.

Finally came graduation. With the tears and the joy and the bone crushing hugs from Mum and Tony. And even more posing for thousands of more photos once again. Then even more crying from Mum. Like it was the end of the world. Her baby was done with school. What would she do now?

It was weird. I had spent so many hours thinking about what would come after this moment, but not actually thinking about this moment. Where everything really begins to change. Right about where I begin to have a little freak out in my head.

Nothing is the same now. Or will be the same at least. We can pretend for a while that we'll stay the same, that there will be structure, that the constitution that I've spent the last thirteen years hating will suddenly not be there. And that I'd actually be lost without it.

Because when there is no stable constitution, there is even less certainty about life, and about us staying together.

And we could only avoid that small fact for so long, before it came back to haunt us.

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AN: The sequel has arrived. That was just explaining the year that was. I left some things hanging in the last chapters, and that sort of brought them together. We needed to know what happened in their last year. It's going to effect them in the future. It was short, but there will be more soon. Hope you enjoyed it, remember to please read and review.


	2. Chapter 2: You know boredom kills, right

**Disclaimer:** You know as well as I do, I own nothing.

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Two: You know boredom kills, right?_

"_I'm bored"  
__-I'm Bored, Ignite._

"I'm bored" Cassie complained loudly from next to me, rolling onto her stomach and looking towards the surf where Luke and Ric still sat on their boards waiting for a wave. Their options weren't looking very good though, as most of the surf was flat.

Cassie's sudden comment had snapped me out of my flashbacks, as I took one headphone out of my ear, offering it to her so she too could listen.

She shook her head before letting out a loud, over emphasized sigh, obviously reiterating her pervious comment about boredom.

"I'm bored too." I said, giving up trying to listen to my music and turning to face her. "But what can I do about it? I'm out of idea's here Cass. There is nothing to do. We've gone to every possible party. To every club, every week. We've exhausted all options the Summer Bay has to offer in nightlife and end of school drunken activity. We've shopped in every available shopping mall. We've played almost every video game the boys have in their entire collection. We even went to that poker night which became completely awkward when we found out it was strip poker and Ric and Luke kept loosing…" I trailed off, as Cassie and I cast our minds back to the not so greatest hour in the lives of our boyfriends.

"I never could figure out why those boys who invited us kept begging us not to bring the boys. But after they all became almost naked, while we were fully dressed, it all became quite clear." Cassie reflected, as we fell into a silence, watching the boys, who had been scarred for life that night.

After a while, Cassie spoke again.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day where I said this… but there is only so much sun baking I can handle." She said, as she mumbled all the final words together, as if ashamed of what she'd just admitted.

I mock gasped at this revelation, as Cassie glared at me for mucking around with her.

"I'm serious Maddie!" Cassie cried, shoving me. "I'm so bored doing nothing. All day, every damn day."

"Like I said before," I began "I'm out of ideas. I've got nothing. Nada. Get it?" I finished, slightly mocking Cassie's dramatic outburst once again.

"Sometimes, you can be the most infuriating girl in the entire world Matilda Hunter." Cassie said, turning to lie down once again.

"And yet I'm still the person you choose to hang out with most. Some may even call us 'best friends', a novel term I once thought. So what does that say about your own personality, and how infuriating you can be?" I asked, poking her sides.

"That my standards in friendships have slipped sorely." Cassie deadpanned, before laughing loudly at my extremely shocked facial expression, and then pulling me into what one could describe as a bone-crushing hug.

"You know I'm kidding Mads'. You know I wouldn't trade you for the world." She said, as I said with what little voice I could muster "Need to breathe."

She let go and I gulped down a few deep breaths of air before saying to her "Much better", as I spied Luke and Ric finally emerging from the water, boards under their arms, walking towards us.

"Bored too?" I yelled out to them as they approached us, before adding quickly, "No hugs or kisses either. I'm quite content and **DRY** here. I would hate for you to be castrated and never be able to reproduce because you ruined that Lucas." I finished, smiling sweetly at him as came closer.

"Some goes for you mister." Cassie warned, as Ric looked to be coming in extremely close range of her towel, and her.

"Woman, sometimes I wonder if you truly are the devil reincarnate." He replied, sitting down a safe foot away from me.

"Well I do aim to please." I replied, smiling even more sweetly at him.

"What did you mean before. When you said 'bored too'?" Ric asked, not daring to sit any closer to Cassie than Luke had to me.

Lord how whipped these boys were.

"Oh, nothing" Cassie quickly stammered, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Wait a second" Ric said, "You couldn't possibly… I never imagined… never thought I'd live to see the day…. This is all too crazy for words."

"In full sentences please." Luke added. I smiled sympathetically in his direction. Sometimes, he's just not so quick when obvious facts are stated.

"You two are actually sick and tired of ruining your body by continuously lying in the sun." Ric finally finished, a sense of amazement in his voice.

"We didn't say… we're not… well… maybe, possibly…" Cassie trailed off, looking away from the scrutiny of Ric's shocked expression.

"I so knew it. Wow. You're actually sick of sun baking. That's what's being admitted to here. That's what you're saying. That you actually want to do something other than lie on the beach soaking up the rays of sunlight. That it holds no more interest…" Ric began.

"Shut up." Cassie cut him off, glaring at him.

"We may be looking for alternative entertainment for a little while." I said, in the hopes of stopping an angry looking Cassie from using her boxing powers and decking Ric for taunting her.

"Yeah, what Maddie said." Cassie said, after she had cooled down.

"So, any ideas?" I asked, happy that any potential tension between the two was now gone.

"We could teach you to surf again?" Luke suggested.

"And get me on one of those things?" I said, nodding my head towards Luke's surfboard. "You're kidding, right? Seriously joking, yes? Do you remember when I only tried to stand up on the sand on one of those things, and I fell off? Never again, not ever. You must be kidding." I finished, staring Luke down, looking for him to buckle under the pressure.

"She was pretty bad, wasn't she?" Cassie said, laughing, before I shot an evil look in her direction, shutting her up.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, oh best friend. But I seem to recall you weren't much better!" I exclaimed, pushing her playfully as she poked her tongue out at me. "Plus, you know," I continued, "Us and water… not really a good combination."

"So strike surfing, and any other potential water activities from the imaginary list." Ric said, looking between Cassie and I. "They are right man, mixing them with water could prove to be disastrous." He finished.

"I think its best if we strike anything sporty from the list, considering Maddie's history, and her lack of willing participation in school sport from year seven to year ten… at least, that's what Beth continues to tell me." Luke added, looking at Ric who nodded in complete understanding.

"So I'm not the most athletic girl in the world. Big deal. I'm also sitting right here, so could we keep the 'Maddie is crap at sport' mocking to a minimum. There has got to be more things we can do in this place that don't involve me running, walking, hitting or kicking anything, right?" I finished, looking at everyone, waiting for a response.

Ric, Cassie and Luke all pondered this thought for some time. Each time they looked close to having come up with an idea, the opened their mouths, beginning to make a sound, but then it came out all strangled and were knocked back into a silence, as if realizing some hidden sporting aspect. Or acknowledging the fact that we'd possibly already done that before. With or without the consent of the rent's.

After five whole minutes of this vicious cycle that had begun to form, I sighed loudly before saying to them, "Summer Bay is officially the most boring place in the world. Maybe even the universe. We've exhausted every plausible, possible option or activity. We're going to grow old and boring before our youth is spent. Cassie and I are going to become like Colleen, old and bored, with nothing better to do with her life than to spread the town gossip like wild fire. There isn't a hope left in the world for…."

"There's a new movie showing at Yabbie Creek tonight. We could make a start by seeing that?" Luke suggested, not so subtly cutting off my melodramatic speech. "But we won't be stopping for coffee after. No more caffeine for you darlin', not for a very long time." He said, as I pinched him for even daring to think about taking away my coffee.

"Well… I guess that's something for tonight at least." Cassie said, sounding as if she was trying to convince herself, rather than any one else.

"Yeah, something for tonight at least" Ric mocked, "But first," he said, looking quickly at Luke, an evil gleam appearing in his eyes, "I think the two of you need to have a go in the water".

Then suddenly, before I'd had any opportunity to being processing Ric's quick words, Luke (the slime) had thrown me over his shoulder quickly and carried me, wriggling and screaming, down to the waters edge. I felt my body being dumped into the cool, crisp water, and I shivered as I reached up to the surface, gasping for air.

Standing up fully as the wave subsided, I saw Ric and Luke doubled over in laughter, taunting us, willing us to go and attack them for what they'd done to us.

Boy, were they going to pay, I thought evilly as I glared at them, then caught sight of the anger in Cassie's eyes.

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"Well…" I said as we exited the movie theatre. "The movie was …. Well…"

"A complete waste of two hours and ten bucks." Ric finished for me, as he began to limp his way along the sidewalk.

"I was going to say interesting, but yours was better." I said, laughing as he continued to limp next to Cassie, who had smirked as she too saw the limp.

"It's not funny." Ric said, glaring at the both of is. "I'm injured and in pain and your laughing at me."

"We told you," I said to him, "We warned you that if you didn't leave us dry you'd be castrated. My thinking is that you both got off fairly lightly." I taunted, poking my tongue out at him.

"How come he got out of it so lightly then?" Ric said nodding his head towards Luke, whose hand had been attached to mine from the minute we left the theatre.

"Because his punishment will be even more severe. And because I can't kick like Cassie over here can." I said, motioning to Cassie. We all know how powerful those legs were. Mine were weak in comparison, and would hardly hurt Luke at all.

"Harsh man." Ric said sympathetically to Luke.

We continued to walk along the rows of shops, heading towards the car that Ric had parked a fair way away. The four of us were content in our own silence. We'd got to that stage, when we were comfortable with nothing to say.

"So," Luke began as we reached the car, breaking the tranquil silence that had formed. "What now?"

Groaning in unison, Cassie and I looked at one another before bursting into laughter as Luke muttered "women" under his breath before looking to Ric for backup.

Ric shrugged his shoulders, as if to say 'what can I do about them?' which set Cassie and I off once again. Sometimes, I think it's better that males don't understand females.

As I opened to door to the car I told them "We're back at square one. Right where we left off this afternoon. With a while summer of freedom ahead of us, and not a thing to occupy our time with. This should be our immortal summer. That one endless summer that you know you'll never forget. Instead, we're on our way to having a completely boring summer that's spent lying on the beach or surfing, like we've done every one before it." I finished ranting, looking between everyone for a response.

"We really need to get you off your caffeine addiction before you spontaneously implode." Cassie said solemnly, before smirking and laughing at me.

"Harty ha ha." I said shot back at her, as I began to smirk too.

Luke turned from the front speak to look between Cassie and I before saying, "How about tomorrow we all get together at our house, and brainstorm for ideas. Then we'll plan out the summer, and there will be no more rants from Maddie."

Always the practical one Luke was. Always the planner too.

"Gosh, you make it sound so boring." I mocked, before grinning. "But I like the idea. This way everything will be sorted, and the best summer ever will be planned." I said happily, clapping my hands together in excitement.

"We really need to get you off that coffee." Ric mocked from the front seat. "No one should be that perky because they are planning out their summer."

I hit him playfully, but the smile stayed glued to my face, all the worries about having a crappy summer gone from my mind. We were going to plan now. In a whole day, we'd have to be able to come up with something, anything. Even in Summer Bay there had got to be unexplored territory that we'd yet to find.

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Luke and I said our goodbyes through the window and watched Ric and Cassie drive off before heading into the house. We entered loudly; laughing about some lame part in the movie we'd just wasted our time watching. Plonking myself down onto the couch, I reached to undo my shoes, throwing them into a corner where I didn't have to think about them any more.

Luke sat down at the other end of the couch, and I immediately placed my feet up on his legs. It was just natural like that between us. Everything had become second nature. Mum and Tony would often joke about how we acted like an old married couple more than they did.

I resented the fact that they called me old.

But I knew from my past mistakes last summer that even though we got into little ruts sometimes, even though we became annoyed with one another, and sometimes needed time alone, I wouldn't give up Luke for anything in the world. Guys before him had treated me like crap. Those relationships, or flings, had made me wise beyond my years. And I knew that this was the real deal. Last summer I'd realised. And things had been good ever since.

Luke reached down, tugging on my hand, snapping me back into reality.

"Hey," he murmured, rubbing the palm of my hand gently "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah Luke, everything is perfect. Well, almost perfect. After tomorrow, we'll have planned the perfect summer, and then everything will just fall into place. I can feel it." I said, smiling at him.

He smiled back, just as Mum and Tony entered the room from the back porch.

"How was the movie, guys?" Tony asked curiously.

"Absolute crap." I replied brightly.

"Well that's good to know." Mum laughed.

"Hey, is it alright is Ric and Cassie come over tomorrow. Maddie's got us planning our entire summer so it can be that one 'memorable' summer we're supposed to have." Luke asked, looking up to the olds.

"Yeah that's fine. We'll be out with Martha and Jack shopping for Bella so you'll have the house to yourself." Tony replied, sitting down on the lounge opposite next to Mum.

"Oh no fair. How come I wasn't told about this shopping trip?" I exclaimed, upset at the idea of not getting to spend as much time with Bella as everyone else.

"Well because you weren't home all day darling." Mum said in a slightly satirical tone.

I replied with a short 'hmph' before pouting on the couch, which caused Mum and Tony to laugh again.

"So mature, these kids of ours are." Tony said to Mum. "You'd never mistake them for young adults would you?"

I poked my tongue out at him good for that one.

"So you're planning things to do over summer. Have you considered employment?" Tony asked Luke and myself.

"And give up living off your income? I don't think so." I replied.

"That's what I thought. But you've got to think about it sometime." Tony replied, sounding a whole lot like Luke, which kind of freaked me out.

"I'd prefer to think about it after this summer. Because this summer is going to be all time." I said happily, swearing to myself that nothing would bring me down from my high.

Mum and Tony shared an odd, quick look at one another before they announced that they were off to bed.

"Don't stay up too late," Mum said, warning Luke and I "You'll need your energy for all that planning!"

"Goodnight." I said firmly, blowing kisses to the both of them.

I waited until I was sure the coast was clear before turning to Luke, asking him quietly "Did you see that look? They are scheming. I know it."

"Okay Nancy Drew, enough with the coffee. I think it's time you went to bed, you've obviously completely exhausted, and somewhat delusional." Luke mocked, before standing up and holding out his hands ready to pull me up.

"I am not." I said as I reached out and grasped onto his hands. "There was a look. I swear."

"Yeah okay. Bed time for you." Luke mocked again.

"What's with all the coffee jokes anyway? Why are you all picking on me about coffee, you drink the stuff like I do?" I asked, curious about them.

Luke shrugged before saying, "Gilmore Girls. We're always watching it because of **YOU**, and they remind me a bit of you. The lack of sporting talent, the stomach of an ox, and the addiction to coffee. So really, it's your fault, for making me watch it." He finished, as he wrapped his arms around me and dragged me towards his room.

"Yeah right. You totally love the show too. I know you want to see how it all turns out as much as I do." I said, poking him in the belly with an accusing finger.

"Heh, if that's what you want to believe." Luke said, but I saw the truth.

He was a closet _Gilmore Girls_ fan.

"Come on Nancy, let's go to bed." Luke said finally, dragging me into his room and throwing a shirt at me.

Yep, pretty soon life was going to be perfect.

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AN: Well, I struggled a bit in the middle, and then I just kinda rambled. Yes, it's setting up the story for future episodes. Sorry for any errors, it was all kinda rushed. I really do need someone to spell check these things.

And yes, I've watched the first two seasons of the Gilmore Girls, that's why coffee is on my mind, and why I kept throwing coffee addict jokes in there. Liked it or hated it? Tell me. Be honest, be brutal. I _can_ take flames. Review please, it makes me write faster.


	3. Chapter 3: Maybe baby, life just is

Disclaimer: I own nothing, as we all know. Except my joke of a job. Enjoy. 

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Three: Maybe baby, life just is. _

"_Cos we just wanna dance all night  
__live inside the spark of life"  
__-My Generation, American Dreams theme._

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I awoke the next morning with Luke's arms around me. It was familiar, yet I still managed to get butterflies every time it happened. Mum and Tony feigned complete innocence when it came to our sleepovers. Although I knew after looking at the clock which was flashing ten thirty at me, that there would be a note waiting on the kitchen table with information about their whereabouts today, and implications about where I had spent the night.

Rolling out of Luke's strong grip, and getting up out of bed, I stretched before standing a few moments, trying to wake myself fully. When I was satisfied, I shoved Luke not so gently, before half yelling 'wake up' in his ear. His response was a well-tuned groan before he rolled over to the other side and pulled a pillow over his ears.

Shrugging, I decided to have a quick shower and get dressed before a second attempt.

Fifteen minutes later I walked back into the room clean and dressed to find Luke still in the same position I had left him in. Now it was time for drastic action.

"Luke," I whispered, "Luke get up now. I have cold water in a bucket here, and I'm not afraid to use it."

Another groan.

Did this boy learn nothing about making me angry yesterday?

"Lucas Holden. I'm serious. Get up now, or I'm going to show everyone that adorable little photo of you when you were a kid, with that dress that you found…."

That was enough to get him rolling out of bed in fear.

"Matilda Hunter," he exclaimed "You swore you wouldn't ever bring that up again."

"I lied." I said nonchalantly, before shoving the clothes I had collected for him into his arms. "Now, quickly get ready before Cassie and Ric come over." I finished, pointing him in the direction of the bathroom.

"Woman," he muttered as he gave me a kiss on the cheek and began to walk out of the room. "you're going to be the death of me."

"Glad to hear it." I yelled down the hallway, as Luke slammed his door in response.

He was so not a good morning person.

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Luke reappeared in ten minutes washed and clean, with a unpleasant scowl on his face.

"What, no love for me this morning?" I said, pouting at him as he walked past me into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee.

"Oh, there's plenty of something…" he muttered as he poured steaming water into the mug, as someone began knocking on the door.

"My head. It burns." Luke said dramatically as I went to answer the door, already knowing it would be Ric and Cassie.

"Hey." I said happily, as I found them both smiles at the front door "Come in to the Holden's and Hunter's house of horror. Complete with grumpy old men and everything." I said sarcastically before leading the way to the kitchen.

"Hello sunshine." Ric said mockingly to Luke, who only looked up momentarily to glare before giving his attention right back to the coffee.

"Someone is grumpy because they got out of the right side of the best this morning." I said in a sing song voice. That was an easy hit on Luke. He'd get me back for it though.

"Not my fault someone hogged the bed last night." Luke mumbled crankily into his coffee.

"Suck it up and be a man Luke." I said sternly, before sticking my tongue out at him. "Well be in the lounge when you're ready. You better be in a good mood when you come in or else." I threatened.

"Or else what?" He scoffed, using the most energy I'd seen from him all more.

"Or else no Gilmore Girls for a month." I retorted, smirking at the sudden crestfallen look on his face.

"……..Give me ten minutes." He promised slowly, smiling at me for the first time this morning.

"And thus, the power of me." I said to Cassie as we walked into the living room.

"More like the power of Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham." Cassie said, laughing as I pretended to sulk.

"With their fast banter and quick wit, who could resist the Gilmore Girls?" Luke said as he sauntered into the living room, perky and happy.

"You're not making the situation any better here Lucas." I said through gritted teeth.

"Of course, they've got nothing on you Nancy Drew." He said, kissing my cheek before sitting down next to me.

"Thank you." I replied happily before focusing to attention at the very clear and important matter at hand.

"This summer," I began in my professional voice, "Has got to have everything in it. Adventure, drama, romance, laughter, joy, sorrow."

"So basically it's a Mills and Boone novel?" Ric interrupted, smirking.

"And how do you know about Mills and Boone exactly?" I asked, arching one eyebrow, questioning him. That shut him up immediately.

"As I was saying. This summer is all time. It's the ultimate. We only have these last months together, because who knows where we'll be when everything begins to happen next year." I said softly, knowing that I had played the trump card, but it needed to be said.

It was the truth. We didn't know what we'd be doing next year, or where we'd be, or who we'd be with. That's why this summer had become so significant to me. Because it was monumental. At least it was for me.

The silence I had created proved that everyone was thinking about the future too. Now I just needed to cement the idea of an endless summer full of fun and games, of laughter and tears, of no boredom in their heads. That was the most important thing.

"Okay," I said loudly, interrupting their silence. "Ideas people, we need to get the ball rolling, because time is ticking away here."

-

-

-

The next few hours were full of pathetic suggestions that made me want to pull out my hair in disappointment. Finally, I'd had enough.

"This is hopeless." I cried, throwing my pen down in frustration. "We've been here for hours and so far we've got camping and go-karting. And I don't even like either of those things." I said raising my voice.

"I still think a weekend at the Spa would be brilliant." Cassie chimed in, while Ric and Luke both shook their heads. "Well it would be for Maddie and I" Cassie muttered under her breath.

"Oh you mean like the Latin, Ballroom and Hip-Hop dance classes that were suggested too?" Ric asked Cassie with pretend anger. "Or the two day shopping trip to the city, on which you and she would conveniently manage to spend all of our money?" He said, gesturing between him and Luke.

"Argh this is hopeless." I cried again, standing up and angrily stomping over to the kitchen, beginning to prepare lunch for the four of us.

"Summer Bay has got to be the biggest hell hole in this world. I'm sure there are remote towns somewhere in, well, Northern Europe that are as boring as this place, but aside from that, this place takes the cake." I said angrily, my words somewhat just flowing out sporadically because of the lack of thinking process. I just needed to voice my anger.

"Can you imagine a summer in Europe?" Cassie said immediately. "Not our summer, and their winter, but their summer. How romantic could it be? How wonderful and exciting and breath taking would it be to walk down the streets of Rome, looking at sites that have been there for two millennia. And all the shops and stalls and the smell and the taste…" Cassie trailed off, content in her own blissful imaginary world.

"Europe in summer. Now that would be all time." I agreed dreamily. "With all those foreign boys and their cute foreign accents." I sighed, imagining all the things that we'd be able to do in Europe.

"Is it me, or does it appear that we've been replace by non-existant foreign males, probably with an Italian accent and a dark tan?" I heard Luke joke to Ric as they watched Cassie and I become lost in dream worlds.

"Everything is all so close in Europe. I mean, there's Spain right next to France and also right next to Austria and Germany, then there's Italy and the Chezk Republic, not to mention the UK. We'd never be stuck for ideas during summer if we lived there, we'd be able to jet off for a short shopping trip to Rome, before spending a week sun baking on the coast of Spain." I said, before I was interrupted by Luke.

"I thought the whole reason for this 'plan our entire summer' day was because you two were sick of sun baking" Luke asked somewhat accusingly.

"Well sun baking in Spain would be a completely new thing for us." I said, as Cassie nodded in agreement. "You two wouldn't be, well, let's say, jealous, of our imaginary guys, would you now?" I finished, turning his accusation on him.

"Well, you sun baking in a foreign country, it wouldn't be you I didn't trust, it would be those foreign guys. They wouldn't know what hit them, or what to do if you turned up on their beach." Luke answered, oh so very angelically.

And very lucky for him, that was the correct answer.

"Well, in the end, none of that even matters. Because guess what? There is no way in hell we'll be spending a summer in Europe. I mean, not in the next five years at least. But now that that idea is in your head, maybe we can just have a normal, no drama, very little fun, filled with boredom summer that involves spontaneity and very little planning?" Ric asked, almost pleadingly.

"No. We can't. But I do vote for a food and video break to maybe help us get some ideas." I said sternly to Ric, beginning to cut the food up I had gotten out before being distracted by dreams and fantasies of Europe.

"Well as long as it's our pick." Ric replied, pouting a little.

As soon as I nodded my head, he got up and went straight to the DVD cabinet, searching in the back for something or another. Sometimes, I swore he knew more about the DVD's we owned than I did. He often managed to pull one out I didn't have any recollection of buying or receiving.

Cassie stood up and came over to the kitchen to help me with lunch and drinks, while Luke and Ric poured over the DVD collection, occasionally pulling one out and having a silent argument about it, complete with head nodding or shaking. It was an art for them, the art of DVD picking. At times Cassie and I had marveled at how long they could spend in a video store commenting on what seemed like thousands of movies. But then again, they put up with our endless hours of sun baking, so it all seemed fair.

As Cassie and I walked over to the lounge, Cassie carrying drinks, me carrying an array of sandwiches I had created to please one and all, Ric and Luke looked as if they had finally chosen a DVD, and were busy putting it on.

They walked back to us as the title came onto the screen, which produced simultaneous groans from Cassie and I. At least I knew I'd seen this one before.

"Eta Kooram Nah Smech!" I half yelled, half mocked, as Luke pressed play.

"Shiny, just shiny. Who in the gorram 'verse..." Cassie began complaining, before Ric's hand over her mouth shut her up. He left it there momentarily, before taking it away, sure that Cassie had stopped.

But neither of us had finished yet.

I looked at Cassie and met her steady gaze, an evil gleam in her eyes.

"_Earth that was could no longer sustain our numbers, we were so many." _We quoted along together, in time with the movie, just long enough for Luke to hit pause, and watch he and Ric turn to glare at us, as we smirked, trying to look innocent.

There was an overwhelming silence that lasted for the whole of ten seconds before I burst out with "Well you know how Cassie and I feel about this movie. We can quote for god's sake. It's been forced upon us that much. I hate it when it's your pick." I said, pouting and crossing my arms across my chest in a very child-like manner.

"Yeah." Cassie threw in, before adopting the same stance I held.

"And yet it never deters us." Luke said to Ric, shrugging his shoulders. "There will be no quoting, or else." He said, pointing the remote between Cassie and I.

"Or else what?" I said, sitting forward, staring him in his eyes, drawing out the challenge, and tempting him to change the DVD.

"Or else, no Gilmore Girls for a month." Luke replied, smirking to himself.

Damn him, getting me back at my own game.

"Fine." I said angrily, sitting back and crossing my arms across my chest once again. "Have it your way. But don't think you two will get away with this. Just remember, it's our pick next time." I said evilly, as Ric and Luke's faces showed flashes of fear and horror, as they remembered the last time we'd been forced to watch this movie.

Oh yes. The boys weren't exactly big fans of Disney movies. And watching them sulk their way through Beauty and the Beast, especially when Cassie and I broke out into song, had been brilliant.

But they were strong. I saw Luke raise his hand, and knew we'd be subjected to it once more.

"No more quoting, or no more Gilmore Girls." He said sternly, before turning around again and pressing play.

Ugh.

-

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-

As the end credits finally rolled, I looked up to find the boys still enthralled by the screen. Some things never change; I thought to myself as they both sat back, with matching satisfied looks on their faces. I had a sneaking suspicion that Cassie and I wore matching looks on our faces too, however less happy than those the boys wore.

"Yay. End of movie. Now we can go back to planning." I said sarcastically as I stood up, taking the empty glasses and empty plates to the sink, cleaning them off before placing them into the dishwasher.

"Yay." Ric replied just as sarcastically, as he slumped back against the lounge, feeling a tad unhappy about the situation. "I still don't understand why we just can't wait it out till Christmas and New Year. There will be parties on every night, and you girls can go to those post-Christmas sales you love so much. Besides, some time soon we're all getting our results… then the Uni offers will come. And before you know it, summer will be over. I promise to you Matilda and Cassandra, that this summer will be anything but boring, even without meticulous planning. " Ric said, getting down on his knees as if he were pledging his life to us.

I sighed inwardly. Ric had a point. We'd sat around for hours today, and come up with nothing. Unless, by some miracle something happened over Christmas, we were destined to have the same kind of summer that we'd had the last two years running. Well, some of last summer had been different, but we didn't want a repeat of that.

I was more than a little disappointed, I was crushed by our lack of imagination, or by our already over active imaginations that had already allowed us to use up our infinite possibilities…

I had wanted so much for this to be a different kind of summer. To be that summer we'd always remember and smile at, if only because of the time we'd shared together, and the things we'd managed to do.

Maybe I was trying too hard to make that happen. Maybe I was forcing something that just wasn't meant to be.

Sighing again from the kitchen, I turned and nodded my head at my three best friends. I was too afraid to speak for a moment, worried about what would or wouldn't come out of my mouth. Taking a few deep breaths, I suddenly thought of something and smiled widely at them.

"Okay, but it's our turn to pick the movie, right?" I said, smirking at the crestfallen expressions on Ric and Luke's face.

Sighing in unison, they both nodded sadly, knowing they had sealed their fate long ago. I waved Cassie over before picking out the movie I had in mind. I showed it towards Cassie who clasped her hands in happiness before grinning and returning to her seat, letting me put the movie on.

As the title came up, Ric and Luke produced a similar reaction to Cassie's and my own only hours before.

"What's not to love?" I said, as Cassie quickly replied

"David Bowie…"

"… in tights…"

"… with an excellent mullet wig…"

"An epic tale…"

"with wondrous creatures…"

"and great singing…"

"and even more David Bowie." I finished as we laughed with one another, as Ric and Luke looked on, both looking quite stunned.

"Okay," Ric said eventually "We've gotta get you BOTH off the coffee, and away from those damn Gilmore Girls."

"Aww come on, we all know The Labyrinth is a complete classic. And we also all know you two are as in love with it as we are. So suck it up and watch, please, please, pretty please?" I asked, batting my eyelashes at them in an extremely juvenile attempt to get them to cave.

Luckily, these boys weren't immune to our powers.

"Fine." Luke said, throwing up his arms in defeat. "Just press play."

As I hit the button, I wondered if this would be how our summer panned out. Spending time between the beach and home, watching videos, laughing with one another, having fun. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

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AN: Firstly, thank you to jackandmartha, my wonderful Beta (or proof reader) for this story. Like I said, get your stories checked people, it's wonderful, they pick up on all kinds of things you miss.

This chapter was another slow one. The pace will pick up soon. I just need to pad it out to Xmas. That's when all the fun shall begin ;)

As always, read and review please.


	4. Chapter 4: Summertime Blues

**Disclaimer: **You know it, I'm just telling you. I own nothing.

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Four: Summertime blues._

"_It's my life  
It's now or never  
I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive"  
__- It's my life, Bon Jovi_

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In the two weeks that led up to Christmas, we four had fallen into a rut. One day would be spent at the beach, the next watching movies, the third, Christmas shopping in Yabbie Creek. An endless, vicious cycle that had created itself and lasted until now, Christmas Eve, when all the fun was promised to begin.

So maybe I was more than just a little annoyed because my summer was turning out exactly how I didn't want it to. Maybe I was a little bitter because I wanted it to last forever. And it hadn't even really begun.

I sighed as I looked at reflection in the mirror, adding the final touches to my make-up. We were throwing a Christmas Eve party tonight, and Mum and Tony appeared to have invited half of the bay, and everyone else we knew who lived in the city.

I really wasn't in the mood for a party, but my one comfort was that Kit and Kim were coming up for Christmas and the New Year. It really would be good to see Kit. I'd missed her lots this year.

I walked away from the mirror and moved towards my wardrobe where my bright red cocktail dress hung. It was a halter dress that clung to my body before flowing out around my hips down to my knees. It was pretty, beautiful, just right for celebrating such a happy occasion with family and friends, I thought as I slipped it over my head. I heard a faint rap at the door before Luke's head came into view.

I gave him a small, half smile as he entered, shutting the door softly behind him. I saw him stand back against the door and look strangely at me before I said to him "Help me with my zipper please."

He walked over and stood behind me, slowly, carefully pulling my zipper up, making sure the fabric didn't snag. Softly, he turned me and pulled me close, whispering in my ear "You're not happy Maddie. Why aren't you happy?"

I sighed against his chest as his arms wrapped tighter around me, pulling me as close to him as possible. Closing my eyes, breathing in his scent, I was able to pretend that this summer wasn't falling apart infront of me, before my very eyes. That by the end of summer, things wouldn't have changed so drastically that we couldn't even remember who we were at the beginning.

With Luke, I was just able to forget. It was one of the many, many things I loved about him.

Knowing that, as patient as Luke was, eventually he'd want an answer, I pulled away from him and wrapped my hands around his neck, giving him a genuine smile.

"I'm just tired, really, that's all. But your concern for me is cute. Adorable even." I said, kissing him lightly on the lips, letting his arms pull me close once more, letting his lips deepen the kiss. Heaven.

However we were interrupted by a loud banging at the door followed by "See, I told you they'd be at it." from Ric. Always subtle, our Ric is.

"Sorry" Cassie apologised, but I gave her a look that said 'What can you do? Boys will be boys', and she smiled back at me.

"Well come on. There's a party out there, and right now we're not part of it." Ric said impatiently, shoving Luke and I out the door.

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"Aww Matthew, come to your Auntie Maddie" I cried as Robbie and Tasha walked through the door, Matthew held on Tasha hip.

"Thanks for the warm welcome Sis." Robbie said, pretending to be hurt by the fact I'd completely ignored them for their beautiful baby boy.

"I can't help the fact that your boy is completely adorable, and has me under a spell." I said to Robbie, taking Matthew out of his arms holding him securely in mine.

"Aren't you just the cutest little baby around around?" I said, speaking baby to him as Robbie rolled his eyes.

"Hey, you know you love him more than anything." I said before walking off with Matthew in search of his playmate Bella. I found her in her playpen, wriggling around on the ground, giggling away, happy in her blissful, innocent state.

"Here you go Bella, I brought a friend for you to play with." I said, putting Matthew down in the pen with her. He instantly crawled over to her, and began gurgling too, smiling occasionally at Bella. They looked so adorable together. I was just about to pull up a chair and sit down to watch them when I heard happy shrieks coming in my direction.

I looked up to find Kit running in my direction and before I knew it I had been pulled into a hug. I hugged her back just as hard, realising how much I had missed my big sis.

Pulling away, we smiled at one another before she tugged on my hand, saying, "Come on sis, let's go catch up."

"What about Kim?" I asked, spying him hugging Robbie and Tasha.

"Oh, I'm sure he has a lot to catch up on with those two. Besides, he has yet to spend some time with his Godson. He'll be occupied for the better part of the night." She said, winking at him as he smiled broadly at her and winked back.

"Okay." I agreed, as I nodded at Luke, Cassie and Ric who just smiled back at me before helping themselves to more drinks. Kit linked her arm through mine as she pulled me down towards the beach.

She sat down on the sand and patted the space next to her. As I sat down, I looked out over the ocean that was so wide and vast, and wondered if I just took a boat and sailed off, this summer would turn out anywhere near how I had wanted it to be.

Beside me, Kit breathed in the fresh air and said quietly "I miss all this. You don't get air like this where we are. You don't get peace or quiet either, there's always a constant stream of traffic, even at three in the morning."

"But you and Kim, you're happy right?" I said softly, looking towards her peaceful face.

"Never been better little sis" Kit said, "things have never been better." She sighed happily, her face conveying the absolute bliss she felt when considering the love of her life. "Things have never been better for me, but what about you?" She said, nudging me. "Mum says that you've been kinda down lately, even though your results were brilliant. What's up with that?"

It was now my turn to sigh. I didn't know what to tell her. The truth all seemed so melodramatic, so stupid, as if I was freaking out over nothing serious. But I caught the look in Kit's eyes, the one that said, 'Hey, I'm your sister, remember?' so I told her.

"After this summer lord knows where each of us will be. I mean, Ric doesn't even want to go to University, and Cassie, Luke and I; we all have different interests and plans. I guess, I wanted this summer to be special because at the back of my mind, this could mean the end of us. We could all go our separate ways and never look back. It's what I've been thinking about ever since graduation. And no matter how much I try to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, it's always there, like a reminder of what I'm going to lose come the end of summer, and the start of adulthood." I finished quietly, looking away from Kit for fear that she'd see the tears that had begun to form in my eyes.

She understood my need for silence now. So we just continued to sit, as she wrapped one arm around me and pulled me into a half hug. She didn't need words to comfort me. That one simple gesture was enough for me to know that she understood my fear, my anxiety. She understood everything that was running so quickly through my mind.

As the sun began to go down, we heard footsteps behind us, and we looked at the same time to find Kim coming down in search of us. I saw Kit smile again, and I couldn't help the joy I felt for these two. In his eyes I only saw his love for her, as he smiled when he caught sight of us.

They were in love. They'd gone through so much to get to this point. Now they were finally happy. It appeared nothing could tear them down.

"Hey you beautiful Hunter girls," he said as he reached us, clipping me over the shoulder in a big brotherly manner. "Food's on. Everyone is eating quickly so you better get up there before the guys eat everything." He said, laughing as he pulled Kit and I up at the same time.

Draping an arm around her shoulders, she fell against his side and fitted next to him. I walked a little way away, observing how they just managed to fit with one another. I was more than happy for Kit, she deserved happiness after everything she'd been through. Walking closer to the party, I saw Luke, Cassie and Ric sitting in a corner of the yard, Luke already seeing to it that there was a plate of food waiting for me. I kissed Kit on the cheek, told her once again that I was glad she was home, and skipped over to my friends.

Even if this summer was turning out to be a mess, at least I still had them, I thought happily to myself as I plonked myself onto Luke's lap and began to eat.

-

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-

Later on, when the night was growing old and weary, we were all still smiles and laughter as we sat as a large group, all the Summer Bay residents, all the people we loved. I guess this is what Ric had meant when he said things would happen around Christmas and New Year.

It was good to be with friends and family, I thought to myself as Luke's arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him. Lying back against his chest, my head leant against his shoulder. It was warm for a summer night, and it appeared Christmas Day was going to be a scorcher.

People were beginning to leave, I observed sleepily, as I saw Ric pull Cassie up and walk over with Sally and Pippa to say goodbye.

"So," Ric said, as Cassie snuggled into his chest "Tomorrow afternoon, down on the beach, four, yeah?"

"Yeah." Luke replied, knowing that all I really wanted to do was go to bed. "That's the plan. See you at Christmas." He smiled and waved at them as they walked away.

We had planned to exchange presents tomorrow instead of today. What was the use of living so close to one another if we couldn't spend even the smallest amount of time with our best friends on Christmas Day?

"Let's go, Sleeping Beauty." Luke said as he pulled me up with his arms and guided me to where Mum and Tony sat, with Jack, Martha, Robbie, Tasha, Kim and Kit. In the corner, there were soft sounds of two babies sleeping quietly, both about to enjoy the pure delight of wrapping paper tomorrow morning.

"We're off to bed." Luke said, once again speaking for me. I offered everyone a sleep smile as there was a chorus of goodnights from the adults. It was weird to imagine that I was a part of their world now. Weird for all of us. I'm sure they still thought of Luke and I as babies. At this stage, when I was almost falling asleep in Luke's arms, that's how I imagined myself to be.

Picking me up into his arms, Luke carried me into his room and placed me softly down on his bed. He bent down to undo my shoes, before commanding me to roll over so he could undo my dress. I sat up momentarily as he pulled it over my head, before handing me a shirt to put on.

I lay down, and closed my eyes, hearing the faint click of a switch. Shortly after I felt one of Luke's arms snake around my waist and pull me against his, as I snuggled into his body and fell instantly into sleep.

-

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When I woke, Luke was no longer there, but a steady stream of sunlight forced me to squint, as I rolled over to check the time on the clock. Crap, it was already ten. Everyone would've been up for hours, I thought to myself as the door creaked open and Luke appeared coffee in hand.

I sat up as he passed it down to me.

"And just when I think I couldn't love you any more, you bring me morning coffee." I smirked up at him, as he blew me a kiss and set down my clothes that he'd brought me.

"Why am I being spoiled today?" I asked.

"Because it's Christmas and I love you." Luke replied, dropping a quick kiss on my forehead. "But it's not like I don't spoil you any other morning that you wake up in my bed with me." He continued, digging through his own drawer for some jeans.

I stood up and walked over to him, pulled him close and put my arms around his neck.

"Merry Christmas Luke." I said quietly before kissing him. He tasted of chocolate, and it mingled with the taste of coffee in my mouth. It was always so addictive, kissing him. Like a drug that I could never get enough of.

He pulled away before I had the chance to deepen the kiss, and pushed me towards the other side of the room, saying "Go and shower, brunch is going to be ready soon." Grabbing my clothes, I blew him another kiss and walked down the hall to the bathroom. I could hear noises in the living area but I decided I'd rather face the trio of mothers when I was showered and dressed.

One thing was for sure; this Christmas was going to be unlike any other before, with that many sickly sweet couples, and two babies who were going to be spoiled with gifts.

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We did presents first. The babies being spoiled by Mum and Tony, and by Kit and Kim, as I'd suspected. And we were spoiled too. Well, as spoiled as teenage adults can be. I'd had my fair share of Christmas', on the farm, even here in Summer Bay. But I couldn't remember a time when I'd had this much fun. Or seen everyone so happy. Especially Mum. Tony seemed to be able to make her happy all the time. Unlike Rhys or Dad. He was right for her.

Time flew, and soon enough Luke was nudging me, telling me that it was time we made our exit and headed down to the beach. I walked over towards Mum, but I saw her catch Tony's eye and give him that little smile that I'd seen on her face two weeks ago.

Something wasn't right.

Tony disappeared as I continued over to mum, saying, "We're off now to meet Ric and Cassie. We'll be back before dinner, I promise."

"Hold on a second, Tony and I have one more thing for you and Luke." Mum said, pulling me towards to door and motioning for Luke to follow.

I elbowed Luke in the chest, whispering fiercely "I TOLD you they were up to something. But you didn't believe me. You owe me an apology!"

But he wasn't looking at me any more, he was looking in the driveway, where his Dad was standing against a dark blue bug, complete with bows and everything.

Luke and I shared a look as Mum and Tony continued to grin at us.

"Your mum and I, well, we figured since you did so well with your exams, and you've managed to almost behave yourself all year, well, you deserved a reward." Tony said, looking between Luke and I.

"So you went out and bought us a car?" I cried, because it was almost too good to believe.

"Well, we figured you might need some transport to get you here." He said, handing two pieces of paper to Luke and I.

I looked down and saw that in my hand was a reservation. For two damn weeks. At the Moroccan Beach Resort. In Surfers Paradise. I read it over and over. Then notice something odd. "Hold on. This is for a two bedroom apartment?" I ask, looking up at Mum and Tony.

They simply shrugged their shoulders, before smiling at us again, until I was screaming and jumping around and hugging them so very hard. This is what that look was about.

"We figured that you missed out on your traditional schoolies trip, so you needed to have one. The car is for traveling up and back, because we know how much you love being in cars together." Tony says, tapping the car. "You also get to keep it when you get back." He finished with a wink, and I hugged him again, screaming 'thank you' over and over.

Suddenly, I pulled up Luke's wrist and looked at his watch. Five to four. I gave Mum and Tony a kiss on the cheek each before pulling Luke quickly towards the beach where Cassie was running towards me.

"We're going to Surfers Paradise." We screamed in unison, before jumping around in a circle laughing away, while the boys just look on, slightly perplexed, but mostly amused.

After we exchanged our presents, the four of us sat together, side by side, staring out into the vast openness that's infront of us.

"We're really going." I said, breaking everyone from their silence. "We're really going to Surfers. For two whole weeks. Without parents or anything. Just us, together, alone, for two weeks. How much fun is it going to be?" I finished, looking between Ric, Luke and Cassie, who were all sharing matching expressions.

I was pretty sure I had the same wild smile on my face too.

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AN: Thanks to jackandmartha! for fixing the tense and for making it generally make more sense :)

And there we go. Now we're actually heading somewhere with the story. I told you there were going to be trips to the Cape. But what will happen? Well, even I don't know that much yet. But something amusing, and dramatic, and romantic… I think. As always, read and review please.


	5. Chapter 5: My way away

Disclaimer: You know it. I know it. I own nothing. Enjoy 

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Five: My way away._

_"Driving down the 101  
California here we come"  
__-California, Phantom Planet._

_-_

_-_

_-_

"Happy New Year" Everyone screamed around me. Luke leaned down to kiss me, pulling me closer as he deepened the kiss. Out of all the traditions that had been handed down from generation to generation, this was definitely the best, I thought, smiling into the kiss and putting my arms around his neck; jumping up, as he span me around.

When Luke finally pulled away and put me back onto the ground, he kissed me quickly on the forehead as Cassie came bounding over to us, skipping happily, pulling a not as, well, tipsy Ric behind her. Sometimes, the problem with being able to drink alcohol legally was that it happened a lot more often than before. Especially at large family gatherings, and holidays such as New Year.

Cassie, obviously feeling the effects of the alcohol, stumbled a little before Ric caught her. She simply giggled. I giggled along with her, and chose to ignore the look the boys shared. Ric gently pulled Cassie towards some empty chairs, an action Luke mirrored as I swayed slightly next to him.

Setting me down gently next to Cassie, I sat back and smiled seductively up at Luke. He and Ric shared another look, before he bent down and rubbed his hands gently up my thighs, as if trying to warm me up, even though I didn't feel cold at all.

"Luke," I said, my voice drawing itself out. I leant closer, attempting to whisper in his ear. "Luke, let's go play."

His hands went to my arms, pushing me back. "How about, I go and get you and Cassie some water, and then maybe later we'll go play?" He said, pushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear and giving me his best puppy dog face. How could I resist?

"Fine." I said, kissing him quickly on the lips as he and Ric walked into the house to get the water.

Cassie started giggling next to me. I turned to look at her. After several moments, she still hadn't stopped, so I poked her. She turned to look at me, but still giggled.

"What?" I whined next to her. "What's so funny Cassie?" I finished; her name sounding somewhat slurred.

"You're…. Getting… lucky…" Cassie said in between giggles. I looked at her for a moment before comprehending the meaning of her words, and burst into giggles like she did.

Calming myself for a moment, I turned to face her and said "And tomorrow, we'll all be getting lucky… coz we'll be on holidays! At Surfers Paradise." I screamed happily, my face breaking out into giggles again as we stood up and did our victory dance that was often done while we were, aherm, under the influence of alcohol together.

I looked up to see Luke and Ric walking towards us, holding bottles of water in their hand. They shared another look as they came closer, as Cassie and I danced up to them, ginning from ear to ear.

"We're going on holidays." Cassie said loudly to Ric as he grabbed her before she fell over. "And we're getting lucky." She whispered ever so loudly.

Luke snorted, and Ric tried to cough to hide his laughter. But we were oblivious. We were happy. Cassie and I were getting away from here. I was going on holidays for two whole weeks. It was going to be brilliant. Nothing could bring me down.

"Luke," I said, grabbing his hand "Come dance with me."

"Only if you drink some water." He said, handing me the bottle.

"You worry too much Lukey." I said, as I took a long swig of the water.

"Only about you." He replied, pulling me close, wrapping his arms around me "Only about you."

I smiled into his chest. Something told me that this was the real beginning of that one summer, the one that you'll never forget.

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I heard groaning next to me, and I resisted every urge to laugh. Maddie and Cassie had never been able to hold their drinks. Every time they let loose, the end result would be the same. After becoming so tipsy they needed help to stand, they would do their wild dancing, before passing out on our laps. Then they would be taken home; carried into the bedroom and left to sleep everything off.

Tonight was like every other night. And the morning after, was the same as every other morning after.

There was some rolling, followed by more groaning. Then a reach for me. Followed by a faint, "Luke."

I smiled. Sometimes routine wasn't so bad.

Then there was a louder, "Luke."

I didn't dare turn down the covers. Any natural light this early into a hangover, and later on in the recovery, Maddie would cause me major damage.

I gave the form under the covers a quick kiss, before sliding out of bed and walking into the kitchen. Passing Kit and Kim in the lounge room, I mumbled a good morning before stumbling the rest of my way to the kitchen. Finding Dad and Beth wide awake, they smirked as I walked over to the coffee machine, attempting to make a fresh batch.

Even the best of us needed our coffee in the morning.

I looked up to find Dad and Beth hiding their smirks as they drank their own coffee. I simply glared at them before fixing two coffees and walking slowly back to the bedroom. I nudged the door open, hoping to remain gentle and quiet, so I didn't worsen the headache I imagined Maddie was beginning to feel.

"Baby." I said softly to the lump curled up under the covers. A few moments passed, then the shape shifted into a sitting position, and a hand snuck out the side, reaching for the coffee, which I gladly handed to her. It slowly made it's way under the covers, and I heard a mumble that sounded something like "Thank you," after a few sips had been taken.

Kissing what I could now distinguish as her head, I sat down on the bed next to her, sipping my own coffee as I rubbed her back, hoping she would snap out of her funk earlier than usual. Last night she and Cassie hadn't considered the day of driving that we were going to have, as they drank their way through half a case of Cruisers.

My own coffee finished, I felt alert and awake, and now able to face the shower and packing the car. Maddie, on the other hand, had slumped further down, trying not to let the hangover get the better of her. Laughing a little bit, I chose comfy clothing to wear for the long drive ahead of us, before walking out, shutting the door quietly behind me and walking towards the shower.

When I returned, I found Maddie still in bed, but the covers sat around her waist, as opposed to covering her body. She offered me a weak smile, before putting her hands out towards me, asking me silently to help her out. She stumbled out of bed, and I passed her clean clothes as she headed out the door towards the shower. She'd be fine after that. She always was. Although, she would wear her sunglasses all day, and be quieter than usual.

I was outside packing the car with Dad and Beth when Maddie returned. She looked fresh and clean, but wore large sunglasses, hiding her sore eyes from the sun. She approached me, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek before sitting down on the step, watching me do all the hard work.

Between the two of us, Dad and I managed to pack everything, including Maddie's three bags of clothing, one bag of shoes, and two cases of make-up and general tid-bits into the boot in fifteen minutes. Just as we slammed the boot, Ric and Cassie drove up the driveway in their own car Sally had brought for them for a joint Christmas present.

Turning off the engine, Ric jumped out quickly, while Cassie ambled, taking her time, wearing almost identical glasses to Maddie. She waved shortly at me before walking over to Maddie and sitting down on the step next to her.

Jack, Martha, Kit and Kim came walking out of the house, as Kit and Martha joined the girls on the step, Kim and Jack walked towards Ric and I. Smirking as they reached us, I realised the conversation that followed would be anything but fun.

Ric and I shared a look as they joined us. We had no idea what was coming. At least we knew we were dealing with this together.

Clearing his throat to make sure we were paying attention, I rolled my eyes as Jack began to speak.

"Okay boys, this is your first big test in life. How you survive with only two females for company. It's like, a trial run for living with them."

"We've prepared a kit for you." Kim said, handing us a box, which I began to open, only to have the lid snapped shut by him.

"Do not, under any circumstances, open it until you are locked alone in a room together with the girls no where around. This is crucial, if they find out, bad things will happen. We can't say what, all females are unpredictable, no two are the same. Just trust us." Kim said seriously

"We've also got some essential road trip items." Jack added, pulling from behind his back a bag and several CD cases. Opening the bag cautiously, in case that was shut on us like the box was, we peered inside to find every imaginable sort of junk food.

"Sugar hits for the drive." explained Jack helpfully.

Holding up the CD's, we saw such titles as 'Classics', '80s' 'Pop' and 'Ballad's', amongst others.

"One for every occasion" Kim added.

Finally, there were coffee and sugar sachets, with travel coffee mugs.

"To keep your coffee addicts over there happy" Jack said, nodding his head towards the girls whom looked to be deep in conversation.

"We'll leave you with two vital things to remember to make this trip perfect." Jack said seriously.

"Always, always, always, let the girls be right. Nothing good can ever come from denying a girl from being right." Jack finished one hand on each of our shoulders.

I let out a breath I wasn't aware I had been holding. How could Jack and Kim make this all so serious, I wondered, as Ric asked the question that had been playing on my mind.

"And the second?"

"If the girls are wrong, don't let them know. It'll ruin your holiday." Kim said grinning, as he watched the girls share a group hug.

Shaking our hands, they left Ric and I shaking our heads as they wondered off to say goodbye to the girls, who were almost like their little sisters.

Kit and Martha walked over to us, watching the boys hug Maddie and Cassie goodbye.

"Whatever they said," Martha said, looking towards Jack and Kim, "Please, ignore it." she finished sympathetically.

"Treat our girls right." Kit said, hugging Ric then me.

"Funny," I mumbled to Ric as Maddie, Cassie, Dad and Beth wondered over to us "That's kind of what Kim and Jack implied."

In their subdued state, Maddie and Cassie could only muster enough energy to walk over to us, as I felt Maddie's body slump against mine, willing for me to support her weight. Which I did, just as Ric had done for Cassie.

Beth and Dad stopped infront of us. Beth looked like she was about to cry. Maddie said bluntly, "Mum we're just going for two weeks. We'll be fine."

"I know, I just, want you to be safe. And have fun." She covered quickly, hugging us four together.

Promising over and over again that we would be careful, and that we'd ring twice a day to tell them that we were in fact, safe; we finally walked over to the cars.

"This is it." I said aloud, realising that we really were going on our own.

"Yeah, it is" Ric replied, grasping the magnitude of the situation.

We stood for a moment. It was all real. Maddie's dream summer. Our first chance at real adulthood.

Suddenly, Maddie was opening her car door. "Let's get on with this then".

-

-

-

Cassie moaned in the seat next to me, and I glanced quickly to make sure she was okay. No matter how many times Luke and I had rescued our girls, we still worried about them all the same. Alcohol made light work of them, and the morning after was particularly amusing.

Unless, of course, you were stuck in a car driving ten hours north.

With no one or nothing to amuse you. Then, their hangovers could be a damn curse.

Suddenly, I heard Cassie's message tone go off. I looked over to see Cassie mouth the words to "California" before checking the message.

She laughed before replying quickly.

"Maddie want's to know if we're there yet. And Luke is sick of her asking him. So she wants to swap cars so she can ask you. I told her no, because I haven't had a turn bugging you yet. But in a couple of hours sure." Cass said, grinning at me like a Cheshire cat.

How those girls managed to conspire against us even when they were in separate cars, I'll never know, I thought to myself, shaking my head. I saw in the corner of my eyes, Cassie reaching for the CD's that Jack and Kim had made for us.

Luke and I had hidden the box deep in one of our bags, knowing the girls would never go near them, then we'd split the CD's in quarters. We'd have a quarter each driving on day one, then swap them for day two. Then on the way back the same thing would occur with the other unheard CD's… this meant that there was at least new music coming each hour we drove.

It surprised me at times how organised Luke and I actually were, compared to Maddie and Cass, who had simply thrown their entire wardrobe into bags. It was like they were simply shifting their lives from one place to another. Kind of like what we'd be doing at the end of summer, I thought sadly, trying to block the idea of Cassie moving away from me out of my head.

It was a topic that Cassie and I had avoided at all costs. I knew she wanted to go to University. She knew I hated the idea of being stuck in a classroom for longer than I had to be. We talked about it briefly, when she first nominated Universities she wanted to attend. But nothing since then. We became excellent at not caring any more.

Maybe the time to care was approaching, I thought, before the noise of the Spice Girls "Wannabe" filled my ears.

"For the morning after their drunken New Year." Cassie read aloud from the CD case. "Love Jack and Kim. P.S Remember the rules. What does that mean?" Cassie asked, turning to watch me drive.

"What is this crap?" I replied, hoping an insult of her once loved childhood bands would distract her. And it did.

"This," she said "Is the best band ever. Classic hangover remedy. Spice Girls will bring anyone out of a funk." She replied happily as she sang along with the words.

I imagined Jack and Kim's laughing faces as they burnt this CD. They knew how painful it would be for Luke and I. It was the kind of evil laughter from the villains in Disney movies. I could tell.

I did find solace in the fact that half way through today's drive, Luke would get this CD. Then it would be 'Wannabe' heaven (or hell) for him all afternoon.

"If you wannabe my lover, you gotta get with my friend. Make it last forever, friendship never ends." Cassie sang happily, her head bopping from one side to another.

"That doesn't even make sense." I said over the music "If you want to be my lover, you got to get with my friend? What kind of image is that for guys?"

"Make friends with their girlfriends friends." Cass replied, poking her tongue out at me "Because then life would be simpler for you."

"Or even better," I said, looking towards her quickly, "Make best friends with your girlfriends best friend, and her boyfriend. Then form this, inseparable group that does EVERYTHING together. Then everything is just peachy keen." I smiled mockingly as I watched the cast stretch of road infront of me.

Then I saw Luke pull over to the side of the road, so I followed suit, parking a couple of meters behind him before jumping out and walking up to where he was staring at his back, right side wheel.

Cassie came skipping up to Maddie and immediately began informing her of all the brilliant music choices Jack and Kim had made.

Walking up to stand next to Luke, I saw he was considering the flat tire that their car had received already.

"Damn flat." He said as I folded my arms, examining the tire "Look's like we're going to be stuck here for an hour replacing it."

I looked up to see Maddie and Cassie pulling towels from the backseat of Maddie and Luke's car.

"And what do you think your doing?" I said to them as they began to walk away.

"You don't honestly expect us to help with that do you?" Cassie said jokingly.

"Well Luke and I can't do it all by ourselves." I bit back, annoyed by their flippancy concerning the seriousness of the situation.

"Remember what Jack and Kim said." Luke mumbled under his breath.

"I got it." I mumbled back to him. "Luke and I were just worried. Say this happened to either of you when you were alone, and neither of us could get to you soon. We need to know you can do these things so we can worry that little less about you." I finished, playing the caring card on them.

Maddie and Cass glanced at one another and there was a moment of hesitation before they gave in.

"Very nice" Luke mumbled over his shoulder as I replied quickly "Thank you".

Maddie and Cassie put their towels back into the car before, somewhat unwillingly, walking around to where Luke and I were standing. They looked up at us expectantly

I shot Luke a look before sighing loudly. They certainly weren't going to make this easy on us.

One more look between Luke and I, and I gave in. "Okay, it'll be better for everyone if Luke and I do this, and you girls sun bake."

Squealing in happiness, they ran around and pulled their towels out and went to lie down on the roadside.

"Don't pick up any hot strangers." I called out, before rolling up my sleeves and getting to work with Luke. They had us wrapped around their little fingers. It was sad but true.

-

-

-

This was the life. Sun baking with your best friend, while the boys do the manly stuff. Curing a hangover can be hell, but the sun is the second best remedy, coming second only to coffee.

Closing my eyes, I thought a little nap wouldn't do any harm. I heard Maddie's breathing even out, signaling she had the same idea. Luke and Ric would wake us up when they were done, then we'd be on our way again. Closing my eyes, I had images of a sandy white beach, and heard loud laughter, the sound of the four of us in absolute bliss.

Instead, I awoke to the sound of screams, and the feeling of icy cold water splashing against my body. Sitting up in shock, I left the water continue to dribble down my body.

Then, I heard laughter.

Did they never learn?

I looked over to see Maddie sitting up, her body adjusting to the cold water just as my body was. She was just as pissed as I was.

So we retaliated. Ric and Luke were laughing so hard they didn't see it coming. We poured a bottle of water over them, then ran away, throwing random spurts of water at them when they came near us.

To the many cars that were driving by, going to their own holiday destination, we must have looked completely mad. But we were oblivious to anything going on around us. We were lost in our own, perfect world.

Finally, when Maddie and I were puffed out, and Ric and Luke had cornered us, we surrendered. Looking at my watch, I realised we'd wasted a good two hours, and that we needed to be on the road as soon as possible so we could make it to the hotel we'd booked in for the night.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Maddie beat me too it. "I dibs riding with Cassie, on account of the fact I'm not talking to either of you any more."

Her idea was much, _much_ better than mine was.

She grabbed the keys from Ric before dragging me off to our car, as Luke muttered something about listening to Kim and Jack more often. I could only imagine they were annoyed because it was like a wet T-shirt competition and the winners didn't get their prize.

"I guess this means I'm driving." I said, as she walked over to the passenger seat.

"Yep, because we've gotta get back at the boys, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve. But we need to plan them, and you get sick when you drive and write, and I don't." She replied matter-of-factly before climbing in as I unlocked the car.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, I thought to myself, wondering what in the world Maddie would be able to come up with.

Well, I'll find out soon enough, I thought as I climbed in and began the engine, following Luke and Ric as the drove out onto the highway.

Five minutes of deep, heated discussion later, Maddie and I had a plan that would, hopefully drive the boys insane. If not, it would certainly annoy the crap out of them. Now we just had to set it in motion.

Pulling out her phone, Maddie said loudly "Phase One: Ready to commence?"

"Ready when you are, Private." I replied in army speak, before we both began giggling.

She quickly punched a few keys on her phone, before sending a message. A few seconds later, there was a reply.

"Not for a while." She read aloud.

"Well that's just not good enough." I said sternly, "Ask them again."

Clicking away, a second message was sent.

"A while longer. Annoy one another would you?" she read once more.

"They aren't very good with their explanations, are they?" She asked, before once more sending the same message.

"We're two minutes closer than the last time you asked." Maddie read back when the reply came.

"No need for sarcasm." I said seriously. "We are just asking them a simple question. Ask them to be nicer in their reply."

Once more, Maddie sent the message. This time her phone began ringing, as the tune to 'California' filled the car.

Immediately, we began singing along with the music, until Maddie finally answered her phone with a polite "Hello."

Placing the phone on loud speaker, Ric began to yell. "We'll be there when we get there. Messaging us every two seconds asking "Are we there yet?" or various alterations of the same question will not get us there ANY QUICKER. Understand?"

"You've been most helpful." Maddie said, trying to keep a straight face. "Thank you for your time." she said before flipping her phone shut, ending the call.

A few moments passed, before I said, "Maybe, we should ask them once more. His answer wasn't exactly 'clear', all the yelling interfered."

Grinning from ear to ear, Maddie flipped open her phone and sent the message one final time.

Had we been in the car with Ric and Luke, we would've heard the screams of annoyance. As it was, all Maddie and I could do was laugh.

"Phase one complete." Maddie said as we calmed down "Phase two?"

"Already under way." I said, knowing it would take us another hour and a half to get to our destination. "They won't ever want to mess with us again, will they?" I said, looking quickly over at Maddie as she smiled.

"Hell no." She answered, before sticking in a mix entitled 'Just for the girls.'

As the sweet music that was the Backstreet Boys filled the car, I couldn't help but smile. This holiday was already becoming the most memorable I'd ever had, and we'd only been on the road a day. Anything could happen, I thought, as my eyes stayed on the road…. anything at all.

-

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AN: Thank you to jackandmartha, my angel. Stopping it there, otherwise the chapter could go on forever. The drama is beginning to unfold, but not really. It's the calm before the storm… cryptic enough? Read and review please :)


	6. Chapter 6: Payback

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. 

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Six: Payback._

"_When you make your move, I won't hesitate.  
__If you take to long, you could be too late.  
__This time I'm playing to win."  
Playing to Win, John Farnham_

-

-

After what seemed like hours, we _finally_ pulled up outside a rather quaint looking motel. Ric and Luke were already standing outside the car, and Maddie and I hopped out, observing them with their arms folded across their chest and faces both set in tired and annoyed looks.

Maddie simply smiled as she walked up to Lucas and grabbed her bag from his arms, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before strutting her way towards the entrance. Ric gave me a 'don't even think about playing cute' look as I handed over the keys, and followed Maddie.

Apparently the boys were none too happy with us but that would only make tonight all the more interesting… and challenging… I thought, as I looked up to see Maddie clarifying our reservation. Lord knows that woman loved a challenge.

Smiling wickedly as Ric and Luke walked slowly through the door, she strutted up to Luke, handing him a key. He moved to walk forwards with her, but she firmly placed her right index finger on his chest.

"Nope. Girls night in. Cass and I haven't spent quality time together since…"

"New Year?" Luke added sarcastically.

"In the car?" Ric decided to add his two cents.

In a huff now, I guess Maddie decided they deserved no further explanation. So she simply grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the stairs.

"You're actually serious?" Luke said from the background as we continued to walk away from them.

"As a heart attack. Have fun boys." She said happily.

In the distance came the distraught cry, "But there's only a double bed."

"Phase two complete." Maddie said seriously, before we both burst into laughter. Tonight was going to be fun.

-

-

-

Ten minutes later, clothing was strewn all over the floor, as Maddie and I compiled the perfect outfit for phase three, which would be crucial in implementing phase four. Satisfied with our choices, we touched up our make-up quickly in the mirror. Knowing the boys as we did, we knew their strengths, and their weaknesses… for girls in short tight skirts and revealing tops.

They were vain, and obviously were not lead by their brains, but uh, other parts of their body. Who would have known that they were typically cliched males?

Smiling at one another, we grabbed the key as we left the room, and walked up to the door next to ours, gently knocking once.

There was a scuffle and a thump, and a few seconds went by before Ric answered the door, rubbing the back of his head.

"Enjoying the perks of a double bed?" I said, raising an eyebrow and looking past Ric to where Luke sat on the floor.

"Something along those lines…" Ric muttered almost incoherently, as Luke came to join him, their eyes quickly doing a once over, before meeting our own once more.

"We're just going out." Maddie stated "And we wanted you to tell the olds when they call."

"Out?" Luke said, rather angrily "Dressed like _that_? Nope, I forbid it." He said, folding his arms across his chest, a gesture his father would have done in the same situation.

"And why on earth not?" I said, mimicking his stance. Two could play that game.

"Well… I…. Uh…" Luke began unsuccessfully, before Ric came to his aid.

"Because it'll end up like any other time you two have gone out together. A drunken phone call, a late night pickup, and a crappy day for Luke and I who nurse your hangovers. We're having none of that, not until we get to Surfers. Understood?" He said firmly, looking between us as Maddie pouted and I sulked.

"Fine." I said finally, throwing my hands in the air in defeat. "Well, we're ordering in pizza and watching the new Brad Pitt movie then. Or should I say _your _ordering in pizza. Bring it to us when it comes." I said happily, pulling Maddie back to our room, leaving two very baffled males behind.

Once we were safely back, I turned to Maddie, saying "Phase three a complete success. Initiate phase four."

She giggled before pulling out our final outfit choice. One more phase, and our revenge would be complete. Not to mention their minds well and truly screwed with. Sometimes, drama just needed to be created, I thought, pulling my shirt over my head. This was one of those times.

-

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-

"They are up to something." Ric said as he watched the girls skip back to their room next door.

"Obviously." I said, "Did you see what they were wearing?" I finished, pointing out the obvious.

"Think they still hate us for the water?" Ric suggested, as he walked back to the lounge and sat down.

Sitting back against the headboard of the bed, I mulled this over.

"It would explain all their actions so far. The constant messages, the 'girls night in' and the flaunting of their bodies, pretending to go out. They gave in far too easily. Why just agree to have pizza brought to them by us?" I said, rubbing my chin, pondering the question.

I was interrupted by the sound of Ric's phone buzzing. He flipped it open and groaned at the message he was reading.

"Waiting patiently for the pizza. Would like it before we leave tomorrow morning." He read aloud.

"Well, I guess it's pizza for dinner." I sighed, as Ric messaged back and I found the phone book, searching for the nearest pizza provider.

"I told them we've ordered and are going to pick it up now." Ric said, as I finished placing the order.

"Should be ready in twenty minutes. Just enough time for us to find this place." I said, grabbing the car keys, along with the room key, and walking towards the door.

"Sounds like a plan." Ric said, following me.

Looking briefly towards Maddie and Cassie's door, I sighed. "Paybacks a bitch. And I have a feeling they are only getting started." I looked sympathetically towards Ric as we walked down the hallway.

-

-

-

Turns out, two guys in a car trying to find somewhere they've never been to isn't a good mix. Ten minutes were spent arguing about which one of us would drive. In the end we flipped a coin; and went with the opposite of what happened, that had almost become tradition.

Of course, I won the toss, so he drove. Then, we spent the next twenty minutes getting insanely lost, proving that we actually were crap at directions. Not that we'd ever admit that to Maddie or Cassie.

Finally, as we arrived outside the local Pizza Hut, Ric's phone began buzzing. He flipped it open, before handing it over to me.

_We're waiting. _The message read.

_Patience is a virtue_, I wrote back as Ric and I entered the store.

_And keeping your ever so slightly annoyed girlfriends waiting is a sin_. Came the reply. Laughing, I gave Ric back his phone as he laughed too, before putting it away.

We picked up the pizza's and ten minutes later were walking back into the motel, towards Maddie and Cassie's room.

Stopping a few steps away from the door, I put my hand on Ric's chest to stop him.

"Be aware of their ultimate female powers, my friend. They are wise in the way's of men, and know many secrets to abuse their power." I said, as if I was an ancient teacher speaking to his young pupil.

"Beware the female, they cloud the mind." Ric agreed, before we walked towards the door, knocking once, wondering what sight we would behold once it opened.

-

-

-

And their jaws dropped.

Phase Four complete.

Cassie and I had packed many different pairs of pajama's for this trip… one for every occasion. And tonight was an occasion that called for the skimpiest set of pajama's one could wear, without feeling like she was in her underwear. Because that kind of sleepwear was for an entirely different situation… where not much sleep would occur.

Cassie and I had chosen our newest pj sets, of which the boys knew nothing about. Consisting of hot pants (that were barely there) and singlet tops that hugged out bodies and fell just above our belly buttons, we believed these to be the right choices.

We were proven rightly so when their jaws dropped, and the drool started hanging out of their mouths.

Cassie and I grinned at one another before looking at the boys questioningly.

"Our pizza?" I asked, as Luke eyed me up and down like I was a piece of candy… eye candy.

Ric was holding two boxes out away from his body, so I assumed these to be ours. Nodding my head towards them, Cassie caught my drift and leant out to retrieve them, giving Ric a lovely view… for a millisecond.

Once more playing the cute card, I leant up to Luke and hugged his body close for a little bit.

"Goodnight baby." I whispered in his ear, noticing out of the corner of my eye Cassie doing something similar with Ric. "Sweet dreams of me." I finished, kissing him gently, but quickly on the mouth, then moving backwards into the room.

Cassie followed a few moments later, and gleefully slammed the door in their faces.

We turned and high-fived one another because of our great success. One more phase. The make-up phase. We'd tortured the boys for too long now… well, maybe a couple of hours longer wouldn't hurt.

"Okay, countdown to phase five commences at," I said, checking my watch "nine seventeen. Phase five commencing at midnight." I finished as she handed me a box of lovely smelling pizza.

"But until that time," Cassie replied "Bring on the Brad Pitt."

"Amen sister." I replied, sitting down on the bed and flipping on the TV.

-

-

-

Luke and I were still standing outside their room. However we were now looking at the half-hearted paintjob the door had been given.

Turning to him, I pushed him into our room while saying to him "How could we have prepared ourselves for… _that_!"

Shaking his head, Luke turned to look at me. "No one could prepare themsleves against those women in the room next to us. They be powerful witches." He said, almost mockingly, but his face, still dumbstruck with the fresh memories of them in those… pajama's took the edge off his words.

"I don't think I've ever seen that one before." He said aloud, to no one in particular.

"I know I've never seen that one before." I replied, shoving a box in his face.

"Eat up. They let us go too easily. We'll need our strength for whatever they have coming." I said, with some uncertainty wavering in my voice.

"Who knows?" Luke agreed before biting into his pizza.

Realisation struck his face a moment later as he swallowed his pizza. "The box" he said quietly.

Tucked in one of the bags we'd brought in from the car was the box Jack and Kim had given us. This was the perfect opportunity for Luke and I to explore that little box, and all the secrets it offered us in our manhood.

Laughing aloud, I turned and said to Luke as he began searching for the box "Maybe it's a good thing we made the girls pissed at us. Gives us a chance to do this without looking suspiciously gay."

"Not that they don't think that enough already." Luke said as I continued to laugh. It's true, Luke and I spent an abnormally large time alone together… but what else could we do? Due to our tight-knit group we'd not made that many male friends, and Maddie and Cassie we're always off with one another… what other option did we have?

Luke shouting 'Ah-ha' triumphantly brought me out of my thoughts, as we sat down on the bed together, the box in between us.

"It looks normal enough." I said, as we turned it around in a circle.

Luke let out a short laugh before saying "Don't trust my brother one bit. He and Kim are going to put us through hell with this box. I can tell."

"And how do you know that? Jack and Kim have always been nice to me, not to mention you and Jack are as close as brothers' come. Why would they want to ruin this for us?" I said to him accusingly.

"Because they are older, more experienced males." Luke explained. "They went through hell to get there. Now they are going to make us do the same. I guess it's just a male bonding thing."

"Like we need to bond any more." I laughed suddenly.

"Well, maybe they are going to make us see a light. I don't know. But at this rate, we'll never get to see what's in there." Luke said, pointing at the box.

Exhaling, I slowly lifted the lid as if it were an untouched treasure.

What a waste of a build up, I thought, as I pulled out an old exercise book, an envelope and a DVD…

"William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet" Luke read aloud, his voice sounding slightly horrified.

"What a load of shit!" I yelled angrily, throwing my hands in the air in frustration. "There could've at least been a Karma Sutra or something!"

Luke was silent and as I continued ranting, he looked over the envelope and the book thoroughly. Stopping mid rant, I realised he looked as if he knew something I didn't about the surprises in his box.

"Care to share oh wise one?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"You're judging a book by it's cover" he replied before tearing open the envelope and reading quickly over it's contents. He smiled occasionally, and laughed aloud once or twice.

Finally, he decided to share the contents with my impatient self.

"_Dear dumb and dumber. _

_If you thought this was a disappointment, we're severely disappointed in you. Do you honestly think Kim and I would screw you up over something as important as this?"_

A wry smile formed on my face as Luke continued to read… they knew us too well.

"_Okay, so maybe we would screw you over for a bit, but we're deadly serious in saying the book contained in this box, is the holy bible of women. It is the combined knowledge of the two of us, plus some older, wiser knowledge from other men in your lives._

_But there is one thing that you need to remember at all times. The female is always right, even when she is wrong. Every wise man that we spoke to offered this same advice in some way or another."_

"Too little, too late." I said aloud, as I thought about the kinda… mistakes that we'd made today with the girls.

Luke shot me a look that said 'They DID tell us' before continuing with the letter.

"_This is your birthright as males, to wield this knowledge, and use it for all things good, and for all area's of sucking up as you make many, MANY mistakes during your time with these women. Good Luck Boys. You're going to need it."_ He finished, throwing the letter down onto the bed.

We looked towards the old exercise book, our so-called 'bible'. Luke slowly opened the front page, then slowly turned page after page, as we witnessed the secrets held in this book. There were lists and quotes and diagrams and songs. Every imaginable piece of information had been covered. Every detail, every suck up tactic, every 'back down from that fight you are going to lose no matter what' answer.

"This" Luke said in awe "Is the most brilliant book in the entire world."

I could only nod numbly at him. It was the Holy Grail of all books.

"We better put this away and get some sleep, otherwise the girls will be calling us Rory and Lorelai for the entire day tomorrow" I said as I looked at my watch, noticing that it was almost midnight already.

"And we couldn't have that, all the Gilmore Girl jokes are for our caffeine addicted girls" Luke remarked as he shut the book and stuffed it at the bottom of his bag, before walking into the bathroom to get changed for bed.

I sighed, wondering how long the girls were going to keep this act up… and whether that book contained any hidden secrets to help us.

-

-

-

"Time?" I asked Cassie as we touched up our make-up.

"12:35 am. Everything ready?" she asked back.

"Check." I sighed, turning to face her. "I miss Luke." I said honestly.

"I miss Ric." She replied just as honestly, pulling me into a quick hug. "Let's go get our boys back." Cassie said as she pulled away, grabbed the room key and led me quietly out of our room.

We stood giggling at their door, and began knocking quietly. Then, when no one came, we began knocking louder and louder.

Finally, there were several groans, followed by a loud thumping noise and some hushed swearing. This only brought on more giggles for Cassie and I, and as the door opened, we struggled to keep on our innocent faces.

Luke's hair was sticking up all over the place, and his sleepy face showed a mixture of confusion, horror and absolute tiredness. Ric looked much the same and Cassie simply rolled her eyes before grabbing his hand and pulling him back into their room.

Luke was still processing what had happened as I pulled him back into our room and shut the door behind me. Leaning against the door, I waited until he was more aware before kissing him chastely on the lips. It was only a moment before I was pulled into a huge hug. My arms went instinctively around his neck, and I felt my body relax into his, as his strong arms picked me up and carried me towards the bed.

Giggling, we awkwardly fell onto the it before we pulled apart, shifting around so eventually we were lying to face one another. I smiled sleepily up at him as his hand brushed some stray hairs behind my ear, leaving it there, holding the side of my face.

Kissing me gently on the lips, he rubbed my cheek and neck before whispering "You're beautiful" in my ear.

Blushing as he kissed me again, I wondered how, after all this time, Luke could still make me weak at the knees.

"You're a suck up" I whispered back before poking out my tongue at him.

"Whatever gets me back in your good graces" he replied, kissing my neck slowly.

"Mmm… that will work." I replied, enjoying the sensations he was causing."But we'll also get no sleep. And you and Ric can't waste all your Gilmore Girl jokes in one sitting." I said, pulling away from his seductive mouth.

He pouted those adorable lips, and even pulled out the puppy dog eyes. And I almost gave in. But we had two weeks to enjoy nights like this… and more, I thought, before reminding Luke of that.

"You owe me," he said, as I smiled happily before letting his arms wrap around my waist and pull me close. "You owe me two weeks of… everything." he finished, kissing my bare shoulder and I snuggled into him.

"I know," I replied, yawning.

Two weeks, was my final thought.

-

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-

**AN:** Thank you Jade. You totally rock at this.

I thought, in times of need, I can always write a bit of Maddie/Luke love. Indiana and Rhys came out as a couple at the Logies… that calls for celebration too. This was the second half of the last chapter… excessively long for one chapter, and basically fluff. But I hope you enjoyed it all the same.


	7. Chapter 7: The calm before

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except Club Glover and G.Lover industries… long story. 

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Seven: The calm before. _

_"So I took you hand and we figured out that  
when the tide comes I'll take you away."  
-Michelle Branch, All you wanted._

-

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-

"Damn, I could do this all day, every day." I groaned happily, as the hot rays of sunlight filtered over my body.

"mmhmm… your not on your own there Maddie. This is so the life for us."

"Damn straight." I said, raising a glass and clinking it with hers.

"To paradise." She smiled at me.

"To summer." I replied, shifting my glasses over my eyes, before concentrating on turning so that my body could have even amounts of sunlight.

"To the girls being as lazy here as they were back home." A voice said from behind us.

"You do this every day at Summer Bay. You complained about being so bored with sun baking, yet we've been here a whole day, and all you've done is lay at the beach in your chairs and drink Madori Splices. Someone explain please?" Ric said, his voice clearly confused.

Cassie and I didn't even bother to turn around and greet the boys. And they didn't come anywhere near us. They'd been surfing and knew it was important to stay away from our dry selves until they themselves were dry.

"Mmm," Cassie replied, pulling him closer to her "This place is different to Summer Bay. That's why we can do this here."

"This is heaven." I replied lazily, tracing circles on my abdomen, knowing that Luke would be watching, his pupils beginning to dilate right about….

"Stop it Maddie." He said huskily, moving closer.

Obviously Cassie was distracting Ric in the same manner, as there were no groans or 'Eww's' coming from his direction.

Opening an eye seductively, I allowed my hand to wonder up his leg… inside his shorts.

"Why?" I asked innocently, my hand continuing to rub up and down his leg.

His eyes rolled back into his head momentarily before he pulled my hand out and placed it safely back next to me.

"That." He replied knowingly.

"Lucas Holden, I have no idea what you're talking about." I said, as I pulled him down next to me and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I'm wet." He mumbled into my hair, as I breathed in his scent… seawater, mixed with his after-shave… and something that was distinctly Luke.

He picked me up and rearranged us, so I was lying down on top of him, his arms around my waist, our hands entangled.

"Mmm, this is heaven." Luke smiled into my neck, his arms pulling me closer towards his body, as we both soaked up the mid-afternoon sunshine.

The afternoon was spent in this fashion for the four of us. There were sweet mummers from Luke and Ric, and Cassie and I basked in the attention they were giving us. Apparently understanding what would befall them if they tripped up at any stage of this trip had had an amazing impact on them. Not that I minded in the least, Luke's attention was the one thing I constantly craved, almost like an addiction.

Sometime later that afternoon, as I was lightly dozing against Luke's chest, I felt a movement as Luke stood up from behind me.

Opening one eye, I saw him lean down and kiss me softly on the cheek, before whispering, "Stay here. Ric and I are going for another surf, we'll come and get you later."

I nodded meekly, and lay back again, loving the feel of the sun, before I felt someone poking my side. I groaned before unwillingly opening an eye to see Cassie standing above me.

"What?" I whined at her, "I was comfortable and warm and almost asleep."

"What better way to get skin cancer?" scoffed Cassie, before she took my hand and pulled me up. "Look at that." She said, pointing out to the ocean.

"The ocean? It's big and blue Cass, big deal!" I cried incredulously, annoyed she'd taken me away from my warm seat for this.

"Open your eyes Matilda Hunter." Cassie snapped "The surf is as flat as."

"And?" I asked

"And the boys said they were going surfing." Cassie replied.

"So? They probably went further up the beach…" I suggested weakly.

"The whole stretch is flat." Cass said, motioning wih her hand to the vast area of the beach. She was right, the swell that had been there this morning had died down, and there were nothing more than a few small waves crashing on the shore.

"So" I said, drawing it out "They lied to us?" I asked Cassie, turning to face her.

"Yep. They are up to something, sneaky kids." She replied, shaking her fist mockingly.

"And they didn't think we'd ever bother to look at the surf…" I continued "So they thought it would be okay?"

"I'm betting your right on the money there." Cassie said, as she pulled me back to our chairs.

"So, what do we do?" I asked as I sat back down in my deck chair.

"We pretend like everything is normal. And don't let them know that we know." Cassie replied almost excitedly.

"Do you think they had this planned from the start, or that they are still trying to suck up to us?" I asked a moment later.

Shrugging, Cassie replied "Who knows? Let's just milk it for all it's worth!"

"Agreed." I said, nodding, before facing the sun once more, anticipating the events that tonight were about to bring.

-

-

-

"Do you think they suspect anything?" Ric asked me as we put together the final touches of our masterful plan.

"You're kidding right? Maddie was almost falling asleep on me before we left. The most likely scenario is that they stayed put. Sometimes they'd talk, but you and I both know they don't need to do that on the best of days." I said, smirking at Ric, who understood their love for sun baking just as much as I did.

"You're right, as usual Obi Wan. When will I learn the power of the Jedi like that?" Ric asked mockingly.

"Time young one, time is what you need." I replied, bowing towards him in a manner that was only Star Wars orientated.

We laughed a bit after that, our fascination with Star Wars never ceased to amaze the girls, but that was just another thing Ric and I had bonded over, during our time alone without Cassie and Maddie.

I looked around the room, knowing that there was another just like this at the other end of the hallway. We'd gone all out, knowing this was partly part of our final apology to the girls. It was also our first night here, having arrived in the middle of the day, we'd simply dumped out stuff, and the girls had opted from sun baking by the pool area while Ric and I had checked out the surf.

I knew that if we started this holiday on the right foot, nothing would go wrong. Call it karma, for all the bad things we'd had to deal with last summer. And if this night went as planned, we'd have two blissful weeks, I thought happily to myself as I surveyed the room once more.

"We did good." Ric said, standing next to me and slapping me on the back.

"Yeah, mate, we did brilliantly." I replied, checking my watch. "But right now we better get back to the girls before they actually begin to suspect something is up. Remember, play it down dude."

"Always." Ric replied, as we left the rooms and headed on down to the deck area, ready to find our girls.

We reached the pool area, and Ric immediately pointed Cassie and Matilda out, lying in exactly the same place they had been when we left them hours before.

"Told you so" I smirked at Ric before walking quietly over to Maddie.

Ric simply grunted in response before following me, moving a little further to where Cassie was lying.

"Maddie" I whispered quietly as not to scare her "Baby, wake up." I kissed her cheek gently as I felt her move slightly.

"Mmm, that's nice." She murmured in a husky, sleepy voice.

I laughed at her innocence before rubbing up and down her arms, hoping to rouse her from her sleep completely.

"Maddie, baby, com'on, we've gotta get ready." I said gently, but firmly.

At this, one of her eyes popped open, and she arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"Ready for what Lucas Holden?" She asked in a suspicious tone, but it was the 'Lucas Holden' that got me.

I sat back from her and watched as she sat up, her arms folding themselves across her chest, her arched eyebrow staying up.

"You know we didn't go surfing this afternoon?" It was more of a statement than a question, but I had to confirm their knowledge.

"I know about more than sun baking thank you." Maddie quipped, as I scoffed.

"Okay fine. Cassie knows more. She saw that the swell wasn't up. And she told me. And now I'm telling you." She said bluntly. "Now, what's going on?"

So they knew we didn't go to the beach, but hadn't pieced together anything more than that. How could they, they hadn't known any of the details we'd planned with the use of sucking up techniques in the 'Bible' Jack and Kim had given us.

"That, Little Lady" I said, scooping her up in my arms and pulling her tighter to me as she squealed "Is for me to know, and for you to find out." I finished sternly, as Maddie rolled her eyes at the cliché I'd used.

"Hmph" She replied as she began to sulk.

Knowing that this conversation was going steadily downhill, I did the one thing that could get her back on side.

"The surprises start now if you're nice." I coaxed her, and she perked up immediately as I put her feet down onto the ground.

"Really?" She asked, like a kid on Christmas.

"Mmhmm yep, in the bathroom in our room." I replied happily as she jumped back into my arms, happier than ever.

Just as Maddie leant up to kiss me, Cassie skipped over gleefully and pulled Maddie's arm, yelling over her shoulder to Ric and I "We'll be getting ready if either of you need us for anything."

"Women" Ric muttered next to me "Do a nice thing for them and they abandon you at the first sign of 'new clothes'."

I could only laugh.

-

-

-

"This is so exciting" Maddie cried happily as we waited for the elevator to take us up to our floor. It was so like her to act like a kid on Christmas. Although, I had to admit, her smiling was infectious, and soon I was giggling along with her.

"I know" I replied as we stepped in and pressed the number for our floor, "I wonder what exactly the boys have planned?"

"Whatever it is, it's going to be brilliant. I can feel it in my bones." Maddie replied giddily.

"Elsewhere too." I joked, as Maddie shoved me before saying "Shut up."

"Kidding." I replied, "You know I'm just as excited as you are." I finished, as the doors opened revealing a long hallway.

Impatiently, Maddie ran down the corridor, intent on revealing the surprise as soon as possible. I followed quickly behind her, partly because I was excited, partly because I didn't want Maddie getting over excited, as she had a tendency to do. I reached the door seconds after Maddie who was already putting the card into the automatic lock.

Tentatively she pushed the door open, and we stepped into the hallway of our suite.

I surveyed the room quickly, and came to the conclusion that nothing had been moved, or been added. It appeared to be the same room that I'd glanced around quickly this morning before walking out once more, eager to visit the pool deck.

Beside me, it appeared that Maddie had drawn the same conclusion.

"Luke said there would be a surprise." She said, pouting. "There's nothing here. Except…" She said slowly "That." She finished, pointing to a small trail of roses that lead into the bathroom.

"Now what didn't we notice that before?" I asked quietly, as Maddie started laughing.

"Because we were expecting that big gesture that comes in little black boxes from Angus and Coote." She said all knowingly.

"Jewellery, the universal language that every girl knows" I giggled along with Maddie as we followed the trail that lead us towards the joint bathroom. We were so caught up in the giggling that we didn't initially notice the surprise that awaited us in the large shared bathroom.

Well, I didn't notice, until Maddie squealed "New clothes" in delight.

And there they were, laid out over the bench, with notes sitting neatly on top of them.

Wasting no time, Maddie ran over to the pile with the note addressed to her and sat down and quickly began reading, her eyes flicking over the page as a broad, sly smile appeared on her face.

"What?" I asked, suddenly intrigued by the words the letter held.

"Read your own." Maddie said as she snapped the letter out of my reach, "I'm going to get ready." She said firmly, grabbing her new clothes and walking towards the shower.

Taking the huge hint, I took my own pile of clothing and headed back out into the lounge room, sitting down on the couch and tucking my feet under me, preparing to read the letter.

"_Cassie"_ I read slowly _"My only one. This was all concocted for two reasons. The first is to apologise again for making you girls angry. Somehow Luke and I always manage to do it. But we also manage to get back into your good graces too."_

I bit my lip, knowing a large smile was appearing on my face.

"_The second was to show you girls how much we really love you. Cass, since you came into my life, we've had our difficulties, but you've always been there in the end. Always loving me, always needing me, and I don't want that to ever change. I want to promise you that I'll always be there for you, no matter what happens in the future. I want you to know I'll always love you, and you'll always be the one for me."_

This was starting to sound suspiciously like a marriage proposal, but I knew Ric had more sense than that. I trusted him with my everything.

"_No, I'm not proposing. We're both too young for that. But I am promising you that that day will come later on in life. I love you Cass, always and forever."_

I reached up and wiped away the single tear that had rolled down my cheek and hugged the letter into my body. Ric could be sweet, he could be romantic, but I hadn't realised he could be so honest until then.

A noise in the distance broke me from my trance, and I realised that the shower was no longer running, which meant Matilda was getting ready. Finally, the shower was free for me. I sighed as I turned the water on, wondering whether we'd always manage to stay like this, or whether we'd be torn apart, like everyone else.

Because no one's perfect, are they?

-

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-

I could hear them the minute we walked up to the door. Their laugher was intoxicating, unlike any drug I'd ever known. _She _was the drug I lived off; she was everything I needed, plus a million things more.

Luke rapped gently on the door and I heard the room become silent, the only noise being that of a key sliding into a lock.

I could see shadows of body in the dim lighting, but was unable to see their faces; Cass' face, which was what I was desperately looking for. We slowly walked into the room, lit only by candles, and I wondered whether Maddie and Cassie had their own plans for tonight.

"Uh" I said, clearing my throat "Girls?" I questioned, as the lights were suddenly switched on and Luke and I came face to face with too smirking females.

"Too easy." Cassie said, high fiving Maddie next to her.

"You boys looked so totally dumbstruck by the setting." Maddie said, laughing a little.

"Huh?" Luke said, obviously as confused as I was.

"I know what was going through your mind Mr. Dalby." Cassie said as she sauntered up to me in that itty bitty outfit I'd picked out for her. "That maybe we had our own plans…"

I gulped down a huge breath of air, was I really that readable?

"Well" Maddie said from next to Luke "We did."

"But we were more curious about your plans" Cassie added "So come on then." She said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door.

Maddie handed the key's over to Luke and watched as he locked the door from behind him. Then, on a whim, she decided to pull Cassie ahead and skip down the hallway, both acting very mature for their age indeed.

Luke pulled me close and said under his breath "Are you sure it was a good idea to get them those outfits?"

I glanced towards the two bubbly teenage girls infront of me, and watched as their very short skirts began to draw a fair amount of attention from the passers in the hallway.

"Maybe not." I said, shaking my head "But they needed them for the club tonight."

"I guess." Luke said, still not sounding convinced.

As we reached the girls, he took a firm hold of Matilda hand and pulled her almost possessively towards him. Not that it mattered; Maddie only ever had eyes for him any way. But Luke was a worrier, he knew what Maddie could be like under the influence of alcohol. Hell, Cass was the same, I thought, as I pulled her closer to me, snaking my arm around her waist.

Her head leant against my shoulder as we waited for the elevator to take us down to the foyer. Luke and I had booked dinner at a local themed restaurant, and then we had put out names on the list at Club Glover, one of the hottest places in town. Owned by G. Lover industries, it was known for its raunchy dancing and wild nightlife, just the kind of action Maddie and Cassie were craving. After that, well, I imagined we'd be going back to our rooms for Maddie and Cassie's ideal night out. Or rather, ideal night in.

"Get ready for a night you'll never forget." Luke said as we exited the hotel and began walking towards the restaurant.

"Why?" Maddie said next to him, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"You'll see." He said kissing her temple and pulling her closer, as Cass laughed softly from beside me.

It felt great, being with friends like this, having fun like this. Nothing was going to ruin this vacation. Or this summer. The pain would come at the end, when the inevitable happened. But for now, I was blocking all that out… living in the past, forgetting about what the future was destined to bring.

"You okay?" Cass asked from beside me, concern filling her face.

I couldn't tell her. She'd laugh at me. I was always more of a realist. Cass was a believer.

"Just thinking about how beautiful you are" I replied gently as I pulled her closer.

Nothing was going to ruin these two weeks. Not even my own insecurities.

-

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AN: Finally, the drama kinda begins. In like the last 100 words. Thank you to Jade for being ever so patient and reading this over and over, and listening to every one of my ideas. It's much appreciated. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and stuck around while this was written, I swear, the drama really does start next chapter.


	8. Chapter 8: The Storm

**Disclaimer:** We all know it, I own nada. Enjoy. 

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Eight: The Storm_

"_So hold me in and I could see  
A cold romantic one-way street  
An empty bed of used up promises"_

_- Love Song, Scott Clifton_

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-

"Bye sweetie" I said quietly in Cassie's ear before kissing her hair gently. The entirety of the reply was a mumble, followed by her rolling over and hugging the pillow to her tightly. We'd had quite a night out the night before, especially she and Maddie. Luckily enough Luke and I had planned on this too, and had left them a note, ordered room service for 11, and left copies of the _Gilmore Girls_ for them to watch, until they felt like braving the sun. I looked at her sleeping form once more before shutting the door quietly behind me and walking into the joint kitchen our rooms shared.

Luke appeared moments later and gratefully accepted the coffee I'd prepared for him.

"Maddie?" I asked quietly as Luke sipped on his coffee.

"Out like a light still." He replied, as I nodded and said, "Cassie's the same. I think they'll sleep till the room service arrives."

"They better love us for eternity after last night… and this morning." Luke said, and I laughed quietly, so I didn't wake the girls.

I yawned as I walked over to the window, watching the sun peek it's way over the horizon, as all the oranges and yellows melded into the fading blue sky. This was my favourite time of the day, when the world was still sleeping, save for the few who dared to venture out into the surf.

"Forecast is clear skies, big surf about a half hour down the coast." Luke said across the room from me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Well," I said, moving across the room towards the door and putting my cup in the sink on the way "We better get moving then, hadn't we?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Luke replied, smiling as he grabbed his bag and followed me out the door.

Not surprisingly, we seemed to be the only guests up, and greeted the young doorman enthusiastically. He looked about our age, and appeared to be itching to go out into the surf like we were about to be.

"Heading down south?" He asked

"Something like that." I said, not knowing what to expect from the guy.

"There's a local spot, about three quarters of an hour south from here, and it's off the hook at the moment." He replied, smirking at our eager expressions "Reckon you two are man enough to surf with the big boys."

Stupid locals, always thinking they were speaking to pretty surfer boys. Instead of actual surfers, the kind that Luke and I were.

"Look, do you know something or not?" Luke asked, beginning to feel as frustrated with the guy as I was.

"Follow that road" he said, pointing down a back road to the side of the resort "About half an hour away there's a turn off to the left. Take that, and you'll find yourself at the best surfing spot Surfers Paradise has to offer." He finished, smirking at Luke and I. "You better be ready to surf with the big boys though." He added after Luke and I had thanked him and begun to walk away.

"Believe me, we are." I replied callously, before turning and walking towards the car.

Luke tossed me the keys and I opened the door, winding the window down.

"You sure we're up for it?" Luke asked, as he turned to look at me.

"More than ready dude. We've been hanging out waiting for surfing like this for lord knows how long. Let's prove that we can 'surf with the big boys'" I mimicked, causing Luke to grin at me.

We drove as the sun came fully up which meant we'd get there around the time the swell was just past it's high, a good time to surf, but not ideal. Still, if the waves that were promised by doorman dude were all they were cracked up to be, we'd be cheering.

"There" Luke said about twenty minutes later, "That's the turn off."

We drove down a bumpy dirt road for about five kilometers before the surf came into view. The waves were perfect.

"Dude." Luke said from next to me, after we'd parked and gotten out of the car.

"I know." I said, in awe of the sight infront of me.

"Dude." He repeated, whacking me in the chest.

"I know." I replied, smiling to him as I went to get our boards from the roof rack.

We walked down onto the soft sand, but were met with a group of people who groaned at the sight of us.

"Fresh meat." Said one of the darker haired boys, standing against his board that was wedged in the sand.

"Let me handle them" a blonde girl said from next to him, as she strolled towards us, in what I could only assume was what she believed to be a seductive manner.

"Aww boys, don't you know kids aren't allowed here without their parents?" She said as she pouted towards Luke and I.

We shared a look, then I turned to face the blonde girl.

She stood about Matilda's height, and had a toned body that obviously belonged to a surfer. I'll admit, she was attractive, you'd be mad not to think it. But I only had eyes for one girl.

-

-

-

This was so stupid. A girl pouting at us, but telling us to bugger off at the same time?

"Look," I said, deciding that a reasoning voice might be the best for a situation such as this. "We just wanna have a surf. We've had crap waves for weeks and have been looking forward to the good waves the sunshine state has to offer." I finished, half pleadingly.

Flattery with a woman will get you everywhere.

At least, that's what always happened with Matilda, being the somewhat vain creature she was.

The blonde scoffed at me.

"You Sydney kids right?" She asked.

"Summer Bay." Ric replied offhandedly.

"Never heard of it, which means it's pretty irrelevant in the general scheme of things. But whatever, it probably means you've never surfed waves like these, and we wouldn't want you going out there and messing up those pretty boy faces would we know?" She said, pulling my cheek as if I was a five-year-old.

I swatted her hand away and turned to Ric, saying "What is it with every bloody person thinking we're pretty surfer boys who sit on their boards out the back just to look cool?"

He shrugged, obviously holding his tongue so he didn't bite back at her.

"So you actually reckon you can surf these waves?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, sounding slightly curious, but still mocking us at the same time.

"Hell yes." Ric finally said, looking wistfully out over the waves.

"What's your names anyways?" She asked finally, apparently after weighing up the options she had.

"I'm Luke" I said, "And that's Ric" I finished, pointing to Ric who simply nodded.

"He's the strong and silent type." I said, trying to make the girl feel a bit better about us, "Doesn't really speak much at all."

"That's just how I like em." She replied, looking Ric up and down.

"Oh… no… we" I stammered before she began speaking. "I'm Parker." She said, as we walked down to the beach towards the group who were still staring at us.

"This is Lily," She said, pointing to a dark haired, dark skin girl who smiled at us slyly, before whispering in ear of the guy standing next to her. "That's Matt, Jeremy, John and Shane." She finished, pointing to the four boys who all stared Ric and I down.

"So" The tallest, I think John, said "You boys think you can surf with the big kids?"

"Enough of this crap." Ric yelled, "We just wanna surf, you wanna make it hard on us? Fine, but can we do it after the good waves are gone? Because they're slowly dwindling away and I'm really sick of not being out they're catching them."

He walked away and began suiting up

"Sorry about my…" I began, but Parker cut me off, saying "I'll deal with this." As she walked determinedly towards him.

A few words were exchanged before she walked back over to us. "Done deal." She said, winking at me.

"Huh?" I replied, totally confused by the situation.

"Surf off. You boys beat us; you're welcome to surf here for the rest of your holiday. We win, you boys come out with us tonight and we'll show you the real nightlight of Surfers." She said, shrugging and pulling a wetsuit over her body, as Lily did the same.

"Wait," I said, "We're going up against you two?" I asked, still completely out of it.

"Yep. Why, you afraid of us?" Lily replied in a questioning tone.

"Uh… should I be?"

"Maybe." She said, winking as she ran towards the surf.

My god these girls were so confusing.

"You better get out there." Jeremy said, "Wouldn't want them to have a head start."

I watched Parker ride out with Ric, then catch the first wave that came her way.

"No, no we wouldn't" I muttered under my breath, wondering how in the world we were going to explain this to Maddie and Cassie.

"We're going to get our asses kicked." I said to Ric as we walked out of the surf two hours later.

"Oh yeah." He replied, setting down his board and then sinking into the sand next to me.

"Who's going to kick your ass?" Parker said as she gasped to get her breath back.

"Maddie and Cassie." I stated simply, closing my eyes, soaking up the sun, and missing having Maddie's body next to me.

"Mum's" Lily replied, laughing.

"Girlfriends." Ric said seriously.

"Oh." Lily said, her laugher stopping immediately.

But Parker was undeterred.

"A bet is a bet, and we won. We'll see you tonight at eight." She said, pulling Lily up and skipping over to the boys, receiving high fives all round.

"They were awesome waves," Ric said.

"We're still getting our asses kicked." I replied, dropping my head back onto the sand.

-

-

-

"You what?" I asked, hitting Ric on the chest, annoyed with his stupidity.

"We made a bet, and we lost, so we have to go out with this surfer group tonight." He replied nonchalantly, playing down the _entire_ situation.

"With two attractive surfer girls who just happened to be hitting on you for the entire time you were there." Maddie said, storming away from the lounge room onto the balcony.

"Great going guys." I added, before joining her out there.

"Cass, how could they do this?" Maddie replied, tears already forming in the corner of her eyes. "They were there last summer, they lived through it like we did, how could they go and put us in this situation again?" She added, throwing her arms up in the air in frustration.

"Come on Maddie," I began, sitting down into one of the deck chairs, pulling her down into the one across from me "It's not exactly like last year. Besides, these girls know about us… and, Ric and Luke, they wouldn't do anything, would they?"

She sniffed from next to me, before reluctantly mumbling a "Yeah, I guess."

"They love us Maddie, I thought you'd have known that by heart now." I added, as I saw her stance softening. "They've practically promised us forever, and would blow the girls off in a heartbeat if we told them not to go."

"So why can't we tell them that?" Maddie cried aloud.

"Because we trust them. And because we're going with them." I said finally.

She turned and raised an eyebrow at me, "We are?" She asked finally.

"Yep. We can tag along, use them to find the hottest nightspots then ditch them so the girls can try their thing. They won't get anywhere." I said, certain that I was right.

"I just don't want anything to ruin this holiday." Maddie said quietly, pausing momentarily before she continued "After this summer, who knows where we'll all end up. This could be our last chance together. I just wanted it to be perfect."

I grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "I know" I replied just as quietly "But for once, we need to live in the present, and ignore whatever future will be coming out way."

If only it were ever that simple, I thought, as I pushed any ideas of the future to the side, hoping to keep them at bay for the moment at least. The threat that the future posed needed to be handled another time, tonight, I just needed to live.

Eventually Maddie and I walked back in to find Ric and Lucas curled up on the two lounges watching episodes of the _Gilmore Girls. _

Maddie wandered over quietly towards Luke, who accepted her into his arms gratefully and pulled her close, kissing her hair and whispering sweet nothings into her ears.

I went and sat down next to Ric, who sat up and pulled me next to him, wrapping his arms around my body and allowing my head to fall onto his shoulder.

"You know everything is going to be fine. There are four guys with the two girls." He said finally to me.

I nodded, and curled up next to him.

"And Luke and I would never even bother trying anything. You and Maddie would castrate us if we did." He continued as I giggled.

"Besides, that would mean I'd loose you, and I'm never going to be ready for that to happen." He said finally, kissing my head and tightening his grip on me.

"I know." I sighed finally, "But we're still coming with you. They obviously know about the good nightlife here, and Maddie and I wanna be in that know. We'll leave you alone as soon as we get to whatever club we're going to, but we're tagging along till then." I said, as I looked up into his eyes.

He smiled softly before kissing the tip of my nose, "I wouldn't have it any other way." He said, as we relaxed and became caught up in the _Gilmore Girls._

"Okay" Maddie said from beside me "How do I look?"

"Like a million bucks, and that you don't care that your boyfriend is spending the evening with another woman." I replied

"Just what I was going for." Maddie said, laughing as she added the finishing touches to her make up.

"For the record," she added, turning to face me "You look the same."

"Thanks." I replied, smiling, "Now, lets meet the girls who think they can take our men."

"Ready when you are boys." I said as we came out of the bathroom, finding Ric and Luke involved in a serious game of Dragon Ball Z on the play station.

"Be there in a few." Came the distant reply.

Maddie rolled her eyes at me before walking over and switching off the TV right infront of them. There was a chorus of 'Heys' as Maddie stood up and said, "You'll never meet Parker and Lily on time if we dont't leave now. It's for your own good."

I stifled a laugh as Ric and Luke sulked as they walked towards the door.

"Nice move, now they'll be in a bad mood all night. Poor girls." I said sarcastically.

"Won't know what to do with themselves" Maddie replied just as sarcastically, shutting the door behind her and following the boys down the hallway.

Luke and Ric stepped out of the elevator first, and strode over to a group of people, two of which were bright, sparkling girls.

"That them?" Maddie asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I guess so. Come on, let's go have some fun." I replied, giggling and dragging her over to Ric and Luke and the group they were with.

"And they brought them." One of the girls muttered under her breath, loud enough for Maddie and I to hear them.

"Hi" Maddie said brightly, holding her hand out to the dark haired one. "I'm Maddie and that's Cassie. You must be Lily."

Lily reluctantly took her hand and shook it quickly, looking at the other one, obviously Parker, completely confused by the situation.

"It's really nice to meet you." I gushed from next to Maddie, holding my hand out to Parker, "Ric and Luke have told us all about you. They were really thrilled to have met such excellent surfers, especially females. And Maddie and I thought it was about time someone kicked their asses at surfing."

Parker could only reply with "Okay" before backing off and taking Lily's hand, walking out of the foyer.

I smirked at Maddie who smirked back at them. Girls were so easy to confuse.

"Don't worry." Maddie yelled out to Parker and Lily, who turned around, their eyes suspiciously looking us up and down, "We're only tagging along to find the good clubs. They really are all yours tonight. Have fun." She finished, winking, then cracking up laughing as Parker and Lily turned on their heels and walked out.

The night was young, and we were in great spirits. Nothing could bring us down.

-

-

-

That's right, I thought, watching the space that Parker and Lily had occupied only moments before, I don't play the victim.

Grabbing Cassie's hand, we blew kisses to the boys and skipped off, trailing the group, not wanting to ruin their bonding moments.

"Tonight better be worth it." Cassie said from next to me, breathing in the warm summer night air.

"It will be. Besides, what else were we going to do tonight? Play the over protective girlfriends who sit up till all hours till their boys get home?"

She raised an eyebrow at me, and I laughed "Well, maybe we're still technically doing that, but this way we get to have fun too. You wait, we'll have so much fun we'll forget the boys are even there. It'll be like our own girls night out, only, the boys will be there, making sure we don't do anything too stupid." I said as I happily walked along, my heels clicking against the ground, the light breeze making me feel alive.

About fifteen minutes later we stopped infront of what looked to be an old, run down pub.

I glanced at Cassie, who looked as apprehensive to go into the place as I felt. It stunk of smoke and old alcohol, and the only musical sounds were those coming from the ancient jukebox in the corner.

"You're kidding, right?" I turned to Lily, a little put off by her smug smile.

"These Sydney girls would never know a good spot if it hit them in the head." She smirked at Parker, who smirked back at us.

"We're from Summer Bay." Cassie said in a 'duh' voice, as Parker replied "Whatever. Just, don't judge a book by it's cover." She finished as she followed Lily inside.

"I think we've got it covered." Cassie said, mockingly as she followed them in.

Sighing, I resigned myself to my fate and followed them in, finding myself face to face with a bunch of old guys.

"Peachy keen, Jelly bean." I said, as Cassie silently laughed behind me.

"Follow us." Lily said mysteriously, eyeing Luke up and down as she turned down a long hallway towards stairs that led downwards.

"Do we trust them?" Cassie asked slowly from next to me.

"Do we have a choice?" I replied, watching Luke's retreating back follow Lily. "Besides, do you hear something?" I continued as we followed the surfie group down the stair case.

"Yeah, it sounds like…." Cassie started, but stopped when she saw the sight in front of us.

It was like a Rave, only better. The music was pumping, vibrating through the floor, up my legs and into my body. Bodies were wrapped around one another like, something akin to the scene in _Dirty Dancing_ when Baby first danced with Johnny. A bar was situated in the left hand corner, handing out alcohol to any who walked over.

"We bow down to the queens of all Nightclubs." Cassie said, but the boys, Parker and Lily were already sitting in a corner, their first round of drinks infront of them already.

"So much for it being a group activity." I spat, as Cassie dragged me towards the dance floor.

"Girls night out, remember?" She said, grabbing my hands and twirling me around. "So lets have fun."

I laughed as she twirled me around again, and began to let go of everything, and just move to the music.

Every now and again I'd catch Luke watching at me, and more often than not I'd blush, knowing exactly what he was thinking… mainly that he should be out here with me. But he looked happy enough to be chatting with the girls, they appeared to be getting along fairly well.

It wasn't until later that night that Cassie and I found out just how well they were getting along.

"Come on" Cassie said "I need a good drink."

"I second that." I giggled as we skipped over to the bar, ignoring the glances we received from a few guys.

"Ohh" Cassie said, stopping short of the bar, as she spied Luke, Lily, Ric and Parker standing there, laughing about something.

"We shouldn't…" I said.

Cassie nodded beside me "We really shouldn't…"

"But they are just there…" I continued.

"So close, so very close." Cassie said.

"Maybe just a few minutes won't hurt." I said finally, putting my head around the corner, catching them mid conversation.

"Okay, okay." Parker said, touching Ric flirtatiously, "We give. You guys are actually pretty good surfers."

"Finally, they admit defeat." Luke said, as Lily hit him in the stomach.

"We still beat you fair and square." She said, poking him in the chest with her finger and smiling up at him.

I heard Cassie growl behind me, as I formed little fists with my hand. These girls were getting a little to close for comfort.

"So you finished school, plans for this year?" Parker said, moving a little closer to Ric.

"Well, Cassie wants to go to Uni…" He began, when she stopped him. "No, Ric, what are you going to do?"

"Well…" He said finally "I've been offered an apprenticeship at the local garage in Summer Bay. I heard about it just before Christmas." He continued, and I felt Cassie tense beside me.

"I don't have to decide until the end of January because it doesn't start until February, and I've been waiting for the right time to tell Cassie…"

I turned to look at her confused and hurt expression, and immediately knew Ric had done the worst thing ever.

"How about you Luke?" I heard Lily ask, and I snapped my head around to watch him answer.

"Well, I applied to Sydney Uni. But, well, there's my dream course at Canberra. It's got everything I'd ever need, and I'd love to go there and study and achieve everything I've wanted since year 11 except…" He paused here, looking away.

I sucked in a breath, not knowing what to expect him to say.

"Maddie, she didn't apply to ANU with me. I applied just because I could, but I wouldn't know what to do if I got in there or…"

I spun on my heels and walked away, knowing I'd heard more than enough for one night. Cassie came with me, and we walked up the stairs, not looking back at all.

When we reached the cool night air, I pulled Cassie down a walkway towards the beach, and eventually we found ourselves sitting on the sand together.

I single tear rolled down my cheek, and I turned to Cassie, who was also working hard to keep her tears at bay.

"Have you ever felt so alone?" Cassie sighed quietly from beside me, a little sob escaping her lips.

I put my arm around her and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"We're not alone Cass, we have one another." I stated.

"But it's not the same." She finished quietly, as we sat there in silence, both rocked to our souls about the truths we'd just heard.

We were so lost; we didn't hear the foreshadowing storm brewing on the horizon.

-

-

-

AN: Thanks Jade for proofing, you rock.

And there's the drama. Thanks to my reviewers for sticking with me until the fluffiness stopped and the drama started. Hope you guys still wanna read it!


	9. Chapter 9:When temptation comes your way

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Enjoy.

**-**

**-**

**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Nine: When temptation comes your way_

"_Everybody's playing the game, but nobody's rules are the same __Nobody's on nobody's side.  
__Better learn to go it alone, recognise you're out on your own.  
__Nobody's on nobody's side."  
__- Nobody's Side, Chess_

-

-

"Honey, I'm home." Ric yelled into the darkened room as we dropped out keys onto the bench, and waited for Maddie and Cass to surface. I hadn't seen them leave the club and neither had Ric, but we had both assumed that they'd grown tired, and didn't want to bother us as they left. That's how Maddie and Cass were, they would leave us at any stage, knowing that we'd be fine on our own… and nothing bad would happen either.

"Cassie?" Ric said a little quieter, heading down the hallway towards his room.

I walked slowly towards the door to our bedroom, and opened the door gently, to find Maddie fast asleep, curled up in a little ball, hugging the quilt tight. I smiled at her before quietly closing the door and walking back out into the lounge room.

From his position on the couch, Ric looked up and asked "Maddie asleep too?"

"Dead to the world" I replied as I sunk down next to him.

"Weird" He mused next to me "Unless they are completely smashed, which happens more often than not, they are up till all hours of the morning chatting and stuff. Usually long after we've gone to bed."

"Maybe they were just tired?" I suggested "After all, they had a strenuous day yesterday and stuff…"

"Yeah" Ric said as he rubbed his eyes tiredly "That's probably it." He pushed himself up off the lounge "Night dude."

"Night" I replied, before getting myself up and walking towards the bedroom.

I was careful not to wake Maddie as I entered, changed and crawled into bed next to her, snaking my arms around her belly and pulling her to me. I felt her relax instantly into my embrace and my own eyes began to close sleepily, knowing that I felt at home lying with her like this.

But the next morning, I woke up to feel my arms empty, and Maddie missing. I rolled over and looked at the clock, which flashed 9:38 at me, and groaned before pushing myself slowly up and wandering out to the kitchen, my head in my hands.

"Here mate" Ric said as I reached the kitchen, handing me a steaming cup of coffee.

"Thanks." I mumbled before taking a long sip. "I didn't realise it would hit me so hard."

Ric snorted into his coffee and it took him a few moments before he could regain his composure enough to speak.

"What did you expect? When was the last time we didn't have to worry about Maddie or Cassie?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, daring me to take the bait.

"Okay, so we mind our girls a fair bit. You were watching Cass last night, waiting to see whether she needed you or not. Don't even deny it, because I was doing the same thing with Maddie."

Ric nodded in agreement, and we fell into a comfortable silence until I remembered that Maddie was missing from the bed.

"Any news from the girls?" I asked, as Ric nodded and pushed a piece of paper towards me.

"Gone to find a good sun baking spot." It read "Have fun surfing, see you tonight. Love Cass and Maddie, xoxo."

"Huh" I said, sitting back, slightly puzzled by the note. "It is only almost ten, right?"

Ric nodded.

"And they left before you got up?"

Again, Ric nodded.

"And you got up at?" I asked, waiting for Ric to supply me with an answer.

"Bout twenty minutes ago. Around ten minutes before you got up." He replied, sipping his coffee.

"So that means they must have been out of here around nine." I said, as I worked out everything in my head.

"More or less." Ric agreed with me.

"Huh" I said again "Maddie and Cassie willingly up before ten in summer? Did we miss something?"

"Dunno" Ric said, obviously into the short answers this morning, and much less concerned about Maddie and Cassie going walk about early in the morning.

"So Parker and Lily invited us to go surfing with them today" Ric said as he sat down next to me "Parker said they knew an even better spot that would be off the hook this afternoon."

"Mmm" I replied "Do you think the guys will be there?"

"Who cares? Maddie and Cassie trust us, and I just wanna surf." Ric said happily.

"Yep" I agreed with him, "We should go, we won't get many opportunities like this when we get back to Summer Bay. Besides, the girls are making the most of their time here, we should do the same."

"Yes!" Ric said, high-fiving me before walking to his bedroom to get changed. "We can take the girls out to dinner again tonight." Ric continued, yelling so I could understand him "That way they won't feel the need to pull the threatened act. And, I have a plan for something we can do on Friday." He said, as he walked out in his boardshorts.

"Why do I not like the tone of your voice?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Just you wait and see Lucas, it's going to be brilliant."

-

-

-

"Cass, can you pass the sunscreen please?" Maddie said from her seat beside me.

I reached over to my left and grabbed the large bottle we'd brought with us and handed it to her, before adjusting my sunglasses and lying back down into the chair.

No matter how hard I'd tried this morning, when I woke up feeling Ric's arms around me, his body pressing into mine, I couldn't relax into his embrace. I stumbled out of the bedroom around six thirty and was surprised to see Maddie already up, curled up on the couch sipping coffee.

She offered me a seat after I'd gotten my own coffee and we sipped in silence until I couldn't stand it any more.

"Couldn't sleep either?" I asked, as Maddie sighed and nodded a little.

"It was just so surreal. Did that really happen last night?"

"Yep" Maddie said quietly "Every single part." She added bitterly.

Another silence fell over us, and I could tell Maddie was dwelling over the night's events just like I was. It was on loop in my head, running over and over, Ric with Parker; Ric laughing and having fun with someone whom was more like… more like him… Ric telling her he'd had an offer for an apprenticeship, and didn't know what to do.

Sharing stuff with her he'd been too afraid to tell me.

And that, that was eating away at me, at my heart, wondering why on earth my own boyfriend couldn't share something that important with me.

"We can't do this to ourselves all day." I said finally, jumping up from the couch and pulling a groaning Maddie up with me.

"Do what?" She moaned as I pulled her towards the bedrooms.

"Go in there and get your swimmers and towel and stuff, we're going sun baking for a day so we can clear our heads."

"But…" She began

"You can sleep too." I said as I walked towards my room that I shared with Ric. "Don't wake up Luke either." I added in hushed tone before I opened the door softly and padded across the room collecting everything I'd need.

Ric's sleeping form was hugging a pillow tightly, an innocent, blissful look on his face and instinctually I sat down on the bed and let my hand wander across his face. He smiled into my hand and I pulled away quickly, gathering my stuff and throwing on my white swimmers quickly before leaving, shutting the door softly behind me.

We'd left early that morning and driven around for a while until we found a secluded beach, where we'd set up camp, and hadn't moved since. Small talk had been made, but neither of us had really wanted to discuss the nights events, not until we'd figured them out in our own minds.

Around midday, I heard Maddie shuffle next to me, and I looked over to see her remove the headphones from her ears as she said "Can we just, hang out together for the rest of the trip and pretend like last night never happened?"

"And ignore the boys?" I asked as she nodded her head "Luke and Ric might be a bit slow on the uptake about some things, but if their girlfriends ignored them for two weeks, I think they might notice Maddie."

She sighed in agreement before adding "Do you think we can avoid them for at least a couple of days? I'm sure Parker and Lily will keep them busy." She said spitefully.

"What did we learn from last summer?" I asked patiently.

"Not to play truth or dare drunk, not to let Henry worm his way back into my life, not to go to raves, not to get drunk when Henry is on a date with another woman, and not to have baths in the same room as Lucas because… well, I think that one is pretty obvious." Maddie said as she rattled off all the trivial things that we'd learned last summer.

"And not to jump to conclusions until we know the full story." I added gently.

"But they didn't even want to tell us the full story." Maddie cried loudly.

"Yeah, and it's up to them to tell us, which is why we can't avoid them." I told her, and began to add something else, but was interrupted but the noise of two guys who were walking down towards the beach.

The blonde one looked up and caught my eye, which caused him to change his direction immediately, as he walked towards Maddie and I, his mate in tow.

"Oh no." I groaned under my breath, as Maddie looked up to see the two of them walking towards us.

"Why?" She asked, as she looked up to the sky "Why do you hate us so?" She pleaded mockingly with the heavens.

"Now, why would two beautiful girls such as yourselves be all alone on an empty beach?" The blonde one asked as soon as he was close enough.

"Gee" I said sarcastically "Maybe it has something to do with wanting to be left alone." I deadpanned.

"Well that wouldn't be very nice of us, would it?" The blonde one replied as he sat down next to me.

"No," I sighed, looking at Maddie as I rolled my eyes "No, it wouldn't"

Life was just too cruel.

-

-

-

"I wonder if the girls are okay?" I asked Ric, as I checked my phone for what seemed to be the millionth time that morning.

"They both know how to take care of themselves Luke" Ric replied mockingly "They aren't kids any more."

"Yeah" I mumbled "That's half of what I'm worried about." I continued as Ric pulled up at the end of the dirt road.

He sighed, then said, "We trust them yes?"

"Yep." I halfheartedly agreed.

"And we know none of us ever want a repeat of last summer, right?" He said sternly.

"Point made." I agreed with him, not wanting to further the conversation any more, when I could see where it's heading.

"Good. Now can we please surf?" Ric pleaded with me as he opened the car door and quickly stepped out.

"Yeah." I sighed, as the door slammed shut. I started wondering just how Ric could be so unconcerned by the girls behaviour. I couldn't remember the last time I hadn't woken up with Maddie's body snuggled into mine. There was something… unnerving about not waking up with her by my side. Like one day I'd wake up and she wouldn't be there any more.

I was feeding my own paranoia. That was never a good thing.

Maddie and I are in love. Maddie and I trust one another. Maddie and Cassie are those girls who simply sun bake all day long. Ric and I have done nothing wrong.

That became my mantra.

I hopped out of the car and pulled my surfboard off the roof racks. Ric was already about ten meters ahead of me, walking over to where Lily and Parker were waiting for us. Strangely absent was the large group of guys who had practically killed us yesterday.

"Bout time you guys showed up." Parker said as she smirked at our slightly hung over expressions.

"Sorry." Ric said apologetically as I just stood back, wondering why Ric felt he should apologise about being five minutes late.

"You'll have to make it up to us." Lily replied slyly as she sauntered over to me.

I had to try really hard not to roll my eyes at their flirtations, they knew we were taken, yet they were still trying… what was the go?

"And how do we do that?" I sighed, sitting down on the beach and looking out over the ocean.

"Dinner." Lily replied simply as she sat next to me.

"We can't" I stated, just as Ric answered "Sure."

I whipped my head around and looked at Ric in shock and confusion.

"You can't be serious." I said disbelieveingly, "Are you serious?"

"Why not?" he shrugged, picking up his board and walking to the surf.

"Oh, it's on." Parker, said, racing him down to the surf.

"Maybe because we've got girlfriends who we haven't spent proper time with since before yesterday and this trip was supposed to be about the four of us spending time together, the all time summer." I muttered after Ric, as he and Parker hit the water.

"You are strange." Lily said, standing up and looking at me, kind of like I was the dirt on her shoe.

"Yep" I replied, smiling brightly at her retreating figure. "Get used to it." I yelled, as she scurried faster to get away from me.

"Thank god." I said to myself, as I threw my board onto the sand and walked towards the car.

As soon as I opened the door I pulled out my mobile and prayed that there was reception. I held one down and knew that the speed dial would connect me straight to Maddie's phone.

After three rings, she picked up.

"Luke?" she asked, as if she was slightly confused as to why I was calling.

"Hey beautiful" I said, smiling into the phone and climbing out of the car, making my way to the sandy beach once more.

"Hey yourself gorgeous" She responded, sounding happier this time. "I thought you'd be surfing."

"Not really in the mood." I replied, lying down on the sand. "Guess what I'm doing." I asked mischievously.

"Getting a manicure." Maddie mocked.

I made a face, and I knew Maddie would know I'd made it.

"Nope. I'm sun baking."

"No way." She practically screamed into the phone.

"Mmhmm yep. It brings me closer to you." I said, in what I hoped could come across as a sweet tone.

"Aww Luke, that's sweet. I'm about to gag, but sweet."

"Knew you'd appreciate it girlfriend." I replied, settling into the conversation. "We missed you guys this morning."

"Yeah" She sighed. "Cass and I decided we needed some quality girl time. So we're out here on this lone stretch of beach sun baking. Not another human in sight. It's really beautiful Luke, maybe tonight we can come back here for a moonlit swim."

I knew that tone. That was Maddie's suggestive tone. Like hell I'd miss out on that tone.

"I like the way you think Miss. Hunter."

"Thank you Mr. Holden. So when do you guys think you'll be back?" She asked curiously.

"No later than six. Hopefully we'll be able to see the sunset, then go for that swim." I said contently.

"Okay Luke, Cass and I will be home about five, and that should give us enough time to get ready. See you tonight lover boy." She said happily.

"Will do lover girl." I replied, blowing a kiss into the phone and hanging up.

Ric was going to kill me.

-

-

-

Cassie was going to kill me.

"Maddie this is Josh and that's Kaden." Cassie said in a bored tone.

"Nice to meet you pretty lady." Kaden said, taking my hand in his and kissing is gently, before I snapped it out of his grasp.

"Have they been like this the whole time?" I asked Cassie under my breath as she rolled her eyes and muttered "Yep. Losers." under her breath.

"We'll its been swell boys but I'm afraid I've got to borrow Cassie for say, the rest of her life." I said, as I pulled her towards me away from the boys.

We'd gone about five meters before I heard a strangled "But pretty girl, we've yet to show you the best sun baking spots for a goddess such as yourself."

"You've got to be kidding me." I moaned, "You think they'd take the hint."

"You talking to me?" Cassie said as she turned to face the one she'd said was… Jake… John… Josh? Like it actually mattered, I had more important things to tell her.

"Okay, let's clarify something here boys." Cassie said firmly, obviously not comfortable with the pet names… and other implications. "We're both in very heavily committed relationships. The rings are practically on our fingers."

"So a little chat won't change anything, will it?" Kaden said, smirking towards Cassie and I.

"I guess not." I groaned, looking towards Cassie who appeared to be just as helpless as I was. We had nothing. We'd just have to continue to be sarcastic and roll our eyes and emphasise our boyfriends…. Got it.

"I'd love to chat." I said brightly, dragging a confused Cassie over to the boys and whipping out my phone.

I flicked through a few settings until I found what I was looking for. My own personal portable photo album.

"This is me with Cassie last at the end of last summer." I began, happily "There's a funny story that goes with that…" I said, trailing off on a tangent.

"And that was taken two nights ago." I finished, about an hour and a half later. "There's also a great story that goes with that, but" I said, as I looked at the clock on my phone, which flashed 3:53 "It's time for us to get going. Well it's been grand fella's, nice chatting with you."

I said, pulling Cassie up from her lying position that she'd been in for the last hour and a half, while I'd entertained the boys with many, _many_ stories about how wonderful Luke and Ric were to Cassie and I throughout the year.

"No way. That's not fair." Josh said, standing up and following us towards the sun baking spot we'd originally picked out.

"We chatted. That was the deal, right?" I feigned innocence as I rolled my eyes at Cassie. Some people did not get when they were unwanted.

"Yeah but…" Kaden began, before Cassie cut him off.

"But nothing. We fulfilled out part. Now don't you boys have something to do? Or somewhere to go?" Cassie said sternly, getting really annoyed at their 'give up or die' attitude.

"Yeah, with you two. How about a night out on the town?" Josh asked, sidling up next to Cassie and causally throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"Did you miss that entire speech about how we're practically engaged to our boyfriends?" Cassie replied and she shrugged his arm off her shoulder.

"Besides, we've already got dates. With our boyfriends." I threw in casually, hoping for dear life they'd give up.

"We do?" Cassie said, looking towards me, slightly confused.

"Yeah, Luke rang before and suggested we come out here for a moonlit stroll tonight." I replied, not thinking about the consequences until it was too late.

"Tonight, ay?" Josh smirked "Well, it sounds like a date then doesn't it girls. See you later on." He finished, as he blew Cassie a kiss, and Kaden bowed to me like he was some kind of suitor in the tug of war for my affections… as if.

"Not good." I muttered as I watched their back retreat.

"Not at all. What happened to just having a simple night minus the boys, who, may I remind you, had those kinda huge revelations that they didn't tell us?" Cassie moaned as she sat back onto the sand.

"I know, but Luke called and he said some sweet stuff and you know I can't stay mad at him like you can with Ric. I'm just a big old softie." I cried as I sat down next to her.

"Tilly, they told girls they'd met for five minutes stuff they couldn't tell their girlfriends of two years." Cassie said softly from beside me.

"Sometimes telling strangers something as huge as that is easier." I replied quietly.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because that way only one heart gets broken in the process." I said gently, as I pulled her up from the ground.

"Come on, if tonight is going to be as painful as I think it is, we at least need to look stunning." I said, flipping my hair over my shoulder, causing Cassie to giggle momentarily.

"Painful. Oh god, Josh and Kaden will be here." She groaned, as it finally hit her.

"But at least we can entertain them with even more stories of our fabulous boyfriends." I said, giggling next to her.

Hopefully tonight would make everything better.

-

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AN: Jade, you are awesome. Thank you a million red M&Ms for proofing. Yay, drama, tension, and boys who just don't know when to quit! I love the smell of trouble in the morning. And guess who's coming to dinner? Find out next chapter.


	10. Chapter 10: The Return

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Enjoy.

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Ten: The Return_

"_And now you're back  
__from outer space"_

_- I will survive._

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"How do I look?" I said, as I finished the light layer of make-up I'd put on.

"White is so your colour" Cass gushed from beside me.

"Yours too" I said happily as I stood back and admired my handiwork.

We were dressed in white bikinis with sorongs attached to our bodies. Cassie, always the brave one, had simply tied hers at the hip, letting it flow over her long legs, not even attempting to cover the top half of her body. Sometimes I was envious of how natural she felt in her skin. Not that I had body issues, I just didn't like other people critising my body.

I'd thrown mine over my shoulder and tied it toga style. You could still see my white bikini underneath but I felt better all the same.

"Are you sure about tonight?" I said, as I looked towards Cassie, who had masked her true feelings beneath a cheery exterior.

She sighed, before sitting down on the toilet seat and looking up at me.

"No, I'm not. But then again, I'm not sure of much any more." She said contemplatively.

"True dat." I said, which made Cassie giggle a little.

"We can't be ourselves because we know. But we can't not be ourselves because then the boys will realise that something is up. And we want them to tell us ourselves, not the other way around." She rambled, getting lost in her own words.

"I just wish everything was simple again." She finished miserably.

I let out a short laugh before sitting down next to her.

"When has life ever been simple for us Cass? Let's face it, we're doomed to be drama queens for the rest of our lives." I said, which brought a wry smile to Cassie's face.

"Do you think I'd be allowed to wipe that smirk of Parkers face then?" She asked.

"I think if they make another move on our men, then we're allowed to beat them down." I laughed, before adding "But I think a simple, hot, sexy make out session infront of the witches would have the same effect."

"I haven't kissed Ric in twenty four hours." Cassie sighed from next to me.

"I miss them." I added before I heard a gentle rapping on the door.

"We spoke too soon." Cassie laughed as we opened the door and came face to face with Ric and Luke.

Before I could even speak I'd been scooped up into Luke's arms and pulled close against him. My arms wrapped around his neck holding on tight to him. My feet touched the ground but I was held in place by Luke's strong grip.

"Missed me?" I laughed against his chest, as I looked up to see him grinning down at me whilst nodding.

"Don't ever do that to me again. It was like an alternate universe." Luke said seriously.

"You don't have to worry. Early mornings don't agree with Cassie and I. We fell asleep for a could of hours to catch up." I said, as Ric and Luke began to laugh.

"But if you're going to be mean," I continued as I stepped away from Luke "You could find it happening a lot more."

They shared a look. I knew that look. Before I could retaliate, I'd been thrown over Luke's shoulder and carried out into the hallway. Similarly, Cassie had been slung over Ric's shoulder, leaving us both completely helpless.

"You aren't being nice Lucas," I said a little angrily.

"That's okay, at least this way I know I'll get to spend some time alone with you." He replied, looking briefly up at me then focusing once again on the hallway to the elevator.

"Well if you boys didn't go surfing every single minute of every single day we wouldn't have that problem would we?" I hissed angrily at him.

"So this is about Ric and I ditching you and Cassie all the time is it? Funny that, you never had a problem before we came here… and met…"

He put me down before he finished the sentence. "You're not worried about Parker and Lily are you?" He asked me gently as he rubbed his hands softly up and down my arms.

"No" I answered truthfully. "I'm sorry Luke. I think I'm just a little tired. I really didn't mean to snap at you like that."

He kissed my forehead softly and pulled me against him gently, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as my own arm fell around his waist.

"It's okay" He whispered as we caught up to Cassie and Ric who looked to be sharing a moment like Luke and I had just done.

"So can we please get this show on the road?" Ric said loudly as Luke and I reached them "I'm dying to check out the surf at this 'paradise' you girls found."

Luke and I laughed while Cassie rolled her eyes "One track mind this boy has" she said, as Ric pulled her close and said in a hushed tone.

"Yep, and right now it involves you minus that outfit."

Luke groaned as I quickly covered my ears.

"Okay okay, enough of that Ric. Wait till we're in the cover of darkness and then you can have your dirty little way with her." Luke said as he and Ric laughed even more, leaving Cassie to blush and me to groan.

"Leaving right about now. If you want a ride Lucas, you'll be wise and stop the conversation right there and come too." I said as I began to walk away.

"The little missus has spoken. See you guys there." Luke said as he jogged to catch up with me.

His hand caught mine as he entwined our fingers and gave me a small squeeze that filled my heart with love and adoration.

Maybe some things never changed.

-

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-

Maddie and I shared sidelong glances occasionally during the drive over, but no words were spoken. Normally I wouldn't be able to shut her up, so the silence began to scare me.

We pulled up ahead of Ric and Cassie and sat in silence for a few moments before I had enough.

"There's something you're not telling me Maddie." I said, taking her hand which caused her to look at me.

"Look Luke…" She began, "I just… the other night…" she began, not quite finding the right words.

She opened her mouth once more, and looked as if she'd finally made up her mind on telling me when another car pulled up and two figures jumped out, as Maddie let out a groan followed by short mumbles.

"Okay, whats going on?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow.

"Promise not to be mad, but today these two guys started taking to Cassie and I…" She began, as my face began to feel hot, and I curled my hands into balls to contain the anger.

"Calm Luke, remember? Anyway, they just couldn't take a hint. Even after I showed them every photo of us that I have stored in my phone. Anyway, as we were trying to leave I let it accidentally slip about tonight and they heard and now I think they are here." She rambled, looking down as she finished, as if she were worried about my reaction.

"Well" I said finally "We'd better show them that we really are in love… and that they shouldn't even try." I finished, as Maddie looked up with a huge grin on her face and leant over to give me a huge kiss on the cheek.

Cassie and Ric arrived as Maddie and I stepped out of the car, and Maddie shared an eye roll with Cassie before wandering down onto the sand.

"Imagine seeing you here." Kaden gasped, running up to Maddie and pulling her into a tight hug.

"Yeah, what are the odds" She groaned sarcastically as she pushed him away from her and searched for my familiar hand.

"This," she said, pulling me forward "Is Luke."

"Don't recall you mentioning a boyfriend." Kaden replied, smirking at me. I clenched my jaw in anger and balled up my fists.

"Of course you do." Maddie replied happily "It was in between me telling you to get lost and that you have no chance in hell." She finished sweetly; smirking at him as she pulled me closer to her.

"And that's Ric with Cassie." She pointed out to Josh.

"Nice to meet you two" I said extending my hand towards Kaden, who shook it warily.

"Ready to go guys?" Cassie said, as she and Ric joined Maddie and I on the beach.

"We'd love to stay and chat," I said, smirking at Kaden, as Ric eyed Josh up and down "But we're needed elsewhere. Have a good night." I finished, giving them a short wave before taking Maddies hand and leading her towards the beach.

"Starting the party without us?" A familiar voice said from behind us.

I turned around quickly to come face to face with Parker and Lily, who were standing on the beach with an esky and a CD Player.

"Who the hell invited you?" Maddie spat angrily, glaring at them both.

"And here I was thinking we'd get a warm welcome." Lily said to Parker, before replying to Maddie "I thought this was an open party. At least, that's what Ric told us."

"Is that so?" Cassie said, raising an eyebrow at Ric, who smiled sheepishly at her.

Why did you do this to us Ric? I thought as I watched Cassie become angrier by the second.

"Yep. Didn't think you guys would mind, we'd already made plans for tonight, and I thought you girls would be wanting an early night, considering how early you left this morning, and how hard you obviously worked during the day." Ric replied, a little spitefully, as he glared at Josh.

This was going downhill… fast.

"Well maybe we wouldn't of felt as though we had to get out of there if you hadn't of totally ignored us last night." Cassie snapped before walking off.

Very fast.

"Maddie, can I talk to you for a moment?" I said not so subtly, pulling her a little way away while Ric and Cassie continued to glare at one another. Josh, Kaden, Lily and Parker however, were getting to know one another by the keg… while watching the action.

"This is not good." I said to Maddie as she bit her lip, nodding.

"Why is Cassie so pissed about last night? I thought you girls were cool with last night." I asked, raising an eyebrow as Maddie's face twisted a little.

"Maddie… Maddie tell me what's going on. Why is Cassie so pissed at Ric… why did you two leave so early this morning?"

"I… Luke…" She began, turning away from me.

"Maddie…" I warned.

"Luke, Cassie and I…." She began finally, turning around and looking into my eyes.

"Where's the party at guys?" A voice said from behind us.

Maddie and I spun on our heels.

"What they hell are you doing here?"

-

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"What, no love?" Henry smirked at us, as our jaws fell open in shock.

What the hell is he doing here? I thought to myself. Trying to ruin this holiday even more for me.

"Hey hey girls." A voice said sweetly from next to him "Who's up for a game of truth or dare?"

"Hilary?" Maddie asked from behind me, completely shocked by the evil wench's reappearance.

"The one and only. Didn't think we'd let you kiddies have all the fun, did you?" She smirked at us.

"Mum rang me up and offered me two tickets. She didn't want me missing out on anything." Henry said, walking towards Hilary and taking her hand. "And why would I pass up such a generous offer… especially if it meant having this little reunion?"

"Because you realised you'd get your ass kicked if you came within ten feet of them." Ric said angrily, pulling Cassie next to him protectively.

"Woah, no need to get all agro on us dude." Henry said, sitting down on the sand and opening his beer "Come have a drink. We can chat, air all our dirty laundry, apologise for any… mis-happenings that went on last year, and all will be well."

"And pigs might fly." Maddie snorted, shaking her head before walking away.

"Like we'd actually want to be anywhere near you." I said, before following Maddie quickly.

I finally caught up with her about thirty meters down the beach.

"Hey, hey" I said, putting my arm around her shoulder and spinning her around "What's wrong? We can deal with those two. We're stronger than last year. We can beat them."

She sniffed beside me. "Its not them Cassie. It's everything. This was supposed to be our holiday, and already its been threatened by those two… skanks. And dumb and dumber, who just can't take a friggen hint." Maddie said, her voice becoming strained.

"And already…" She said, her voice barely there "We're being torn apart."

She let out a gentle sob before collapsing into my arms. We fell to the sand, my arms holding her as she cried and cried.

"Shh Maddie. You were the one that said it. We're in this together. Best friends till the end. And right now we're letting them win. So you need to pull yourself together girlfriend, so we can bring those witches down a notch or two." I said enthusiastically.

I heard a muffled laugh come from her hidden face, and knew that in a moment or two she'd be fine. She just needed her spirits rallied… we both did. But hell would have to freeze over before I lost Ric to a stupid surf skank like that… or before I let my holiday be ruined by idiots like Henry or Hilary… who, appeared to be… in some kind of twisted relationship.

"Hey" I said, as something suddenly occurred to me "Last summer, when Hilary and Henry… well, you know?" I said, as Maddie looked up at me, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "Were they together? And in some twisted game to ruin our lives?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted it. Maddie had stopped looking forlorn and lost, and become the epitome of rage and anger.

"They… they… my own twin brother, he plotted to ruin my life." She screamed, standing up.

"We don't know that for sure Maddie" I said to her retreating back.

This could not be good.

I ran to catch up to her, finally reaching her when she was about ten meters away from the group.

"Maddie lets not do anything…" I began, as Maddie punched Hilary square in the jaw, sending her into the sand hard.

"…rash" I finished, looking at Hilary's crumpled figure groaning in agony.

"Oh get up you little fake." Maddie said aggressively, "You know I haven't even started with you yet."

"Ohhh cat fight" Parker said from beside Ric.

"Not helping much Parker" Ric said subtly from next to her.

He didn't really just go there, did he?

"And bringing her along to what was supposed to be OUR night is?" I screamed at him, knowing that Maddie would be able to handle Hilary on her own, and besides, she had Luke on her side.

"What is your problem?" Parker said, walking from beside Ric to face me.

"As if you couldn't already tell." I snapped at her "This doesn't concern you."

"Like hell it doesn't" She snapped back, walking closer to me "All I've ever done is be nice to you, and all you've ever done is be a bitch to me, and a bitch to Ric because he's my friend. Why?"

"And you can tell this in the whole, what, twenty-four hours you've known us?" I asked disbelievingly. "As if. You know nothing about me. You don't want to know anything about me." I spat at her.

"And why wouldn't I want to get to know you?" Parker asked, hemming up the 'innocent little girl' act she'd got down.

"Because you want him." I cried loudly, pointing to Ric.

And for the first time in the last twenty-four hours, she didn't even attempt a retort.

"Huh." I said, tears prickling at the corner of my eyes as I realised Ric had said or done nothing.

"You know what?" I said, trying to be strong "You two deserve one another."

I didn't want to have to deal with this any more.

As I turned to run, I heard Ric call out my name.

Too little, too late.

-

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"Aren't you going to go after her?" I heard Maddie ask from behind me, obviously taking a break from her beat on Hilary session.

"Would you just stay out of this?" I snapped at her.

She looked shocked momentarily before glaring daggers at me.

"Fine. You and Luke go back. Or go out with them. Or spend time with Hilary and Henry. Rot in hell for all I care. But I'm going after my best friend." She yelled at me before running off in the same direction Cassie had headed in.

"Maddie…" Luke yelled out at her retreating back but she was long gone.

"Well, this has certainly been dramatic. Then again, those two are drama queens, always getting their panties in a twist over nothing, like last summer." Henry said, smirking, from behind me.

"Like hell they are. You screwed with us last summer, you almost ruined our lives. And I'm sure as hell not going to let you do that again." I yelled at Henry.

"How are you going to stop me?" Henry replied bitingly.

"By making you stay the hell away from us." I said harshly.

"But didn't I tell you? Mummy dearest rented the room next to yours for us. There's no escaping us." He smirked, as Hilary laughed manically from behind him.

"No" I replied hauntingly "Well how about this?" I said, before punching him with everything I had.

He fell to the ground withering in pain, gripping the side of his face, as Hilary shrieked and ran to his side.

"Nice" Parker said, as those stupid boys, they high-fived one another.

Idiot. Stupid. Fool.

I turned away from them, shaking my head, trudging in the direction of the girls.

"Where are you going?" Luke yelled out over the chaos.

"Away from them. To get my girl back." I said shortly, sharing a half smile with him as he jogged to catch up with me.

We walked in silence for a few moments before I spoke to him.

"I really thought Maddie and Cassie would be okay with Parker and Lily coming." I said softly.

"I know" He replied reassuringly.

"And if I knew it would cause this much drama I never would have invited them." I continued.

"I know." Came his steady reply.

"I don't want the mistakes of last summer," I said, slowly "I don't want to make them again. But I thought Cassie, I thought she was so sure in our relationship. I thought we both were. That we were on the same page, that we understood where we were at… and that it was a good place to be."

"Sometimes they need to be told that." Luke answered.

"Do you tell Maddie?" I asked, looking towards him.

"Not enough." He said firmly "But I'm going to change all that." He finished, as two figures huddled together came into view.

I sucked in a deep breath of air as Luke and I walked quickly over to the girls.

"Maddie" Luke said softly, as Matilda's head shot up from next to Cassie. She smiled a little, before whispering something in Cassie's ear and standing up, walking over to Luke and taking his hand.

She gave me an encouraging smile before returning her gaze to Luke.

I looked at Cassie's huddled form, and it almost broke my heart. Because I'd done that to her, with a few stupid sentences, I'd made her feel like she wasn't as important to me as making new friends was. Or as surfing was.

And that wasn't anywhere near the truth.

I slowly sat down next to her, being sure to keep some distance between the two of us.

Silence overwhelmed us, until I couldn't stand it any more.

"Cassie I'm sorry. I didn't mean for everything to get this bad." I said finally, hoping that would be enough to start a conversation at least.

"Again" She said softly from beside me.

"Huh?" I said, completely confused.

"Again." She repeated, before sighing deeply. "Last summer, ring any bells?" She said, slightly sardonically.

"Last summer was completely different Cass." I said, moving closer to her.

"Yeah, but when you push all the bullshit aside, the same problems are there." She replied, looking at me.

"I love you Cass. I'll always love you." I said, taking her stiff hand in my own "You're my world. Take away surfing, this holiday, anything else, and I'll still be me. But I can't be me without you. Without you, I'm nothing."

"God Ric, does it feel as though you're in a Hollywood movie, because that's what I'm feeling. You're spitting out all the right words, but not making me feel any better." Cassie said, taking her hand from mine.

"Well what do you want me to say Cass?" I asked harshly "Tell me what to say to make it right."

She turned to glare at me, before speaking.

"Tell me about the job offer Ric. Oh no wait, you'd rather tell Parker, the girl you've known for what, twelve hours? My bad." She said sarcastically, standing up and walking away.

"I got this amazing job offer Cass." I yelled after her, as she stopped in her tracks and turned to face me. "Its crappy pay and long hours, but at the end, I'll be doing the one job that I think I could actually love." I continued, walking towards her slowly. "But I'd have to stay in the Bay. Without you. And I don't know if I can handle not being with you, not living with you." I said finally as I reached her.

"It would be easier if you told me these things." She sniffed, as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"Why?" I asked, pulling her close to me and wiping away the tears with the pad of my thumb.

"Because then I wouldn't get angry at you for stupid reasons."

"Yeah" I said, smiling, wrapping my arms around her and holding her close. "Easier."

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AN: Thank you to Jade, my awesome proof reader, whose advice on this story never seems to falter. Its back guys, and now my main focus! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, plenty of drama and angst, and even more to come.


	11. Chapter 11: War, anyone?

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Enjoy!

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Eleven: War, anyone?_

_Cause it's me against the world  
(Oh what a stupid day)  
Yeah, it's me against the world  
(Just stay out of my way)  
And incase you haven't noticed  
And incase you haven't heard  
It's just me against the world  
And the world is winning_

_-Me Vs. The World, Halo Friendlies._

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"Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty" Ric murmured in my ear as I groaned, turning away from him and attempting to pull the cover over my eyes.

"Nup, we're not having any of that today." Ric said, pulling the sheet that was covering my face down before opening the windows, letting the bright sunshine in.

I blinked once or twice, before rolling over and looking at the bedside clock, which was flashing 8:45.

"What?" I cried "Ric, its so early, I've still got another two hours of sleeping time left, before Maddie and I can hit the beach."

"You make it sound like you'll actually go swimming." Ric laughed, pulling me up and throwing me over his shoulder.

"We might." I said halfheartedly "You never know."

"Well, I think you're going to enjoy what Luke and I have planned for today." He said as he carried me into the bathroom.

He set me down, and I peered around his body to see army print type outfits sitting neatly in the corner.

"You've got to be kidding me." I said, completely shocked by what I saw. "I have to wear that… in public? God Ric, is this some kind of practical joke?" I snapped at him.

"Woah, woah, woah." He replied, walking over to me. "Calm down Cass. Its all part of the plan." He said, kissing me gently on the lips. "Trust me, okay?" He mumbled against my lips, causing them to vibrate, and send me into fits of giggles.

"Okay." I said softly, nodding, as Ric smiled. "Just let me shower." I said, pulling up my Pj top.

"Actually Cass, you might not wanna do that." Ric said cryptically. "Just, get changed." He said, kissing me on the cheek "And then we'll set off."

I rolled my eyes at him as he shut the door and changed quickly. I was in the middle of washing my face when Maddie came storming in.

"I see they've got you in it too." She said angrily, motioning to her own army print outfit. "No matter how many times I tell them, they will not listen to me. Army print and kakhi green is flattering on no one." She huffed, sitting down on the toilet seat next to me.

I smiled to myself as Maddie huffed away. She was always so conscious of her fashion. Not vain, as some might call her, but she liked what she liked, and was damned if anyone was going to stand in her way making her wear something she just _did not _want to wear.

"Stay right there Maddie." I said as an idea hit me.

She looked up at me, completely bewildered and surprised that I hadn't been listening to her, but I was gone in a second, then back, holding a camera in my hand.

"Oh no no no" She said, raising her hands and covering her face " We are not, under any circumstances, having photos of my in army print." Her voice said from under her hands.

"I think we need to document this day." I said, trying to convince her. "I'm terrified of what the boys have planned, but any day they manage to get us both into army print, well, it's a day to be documented." I continued, when someone knocked on the door.

It opened slightly to reveal Ric, wearing his own army print outfit. "Here," he said, handing me this black goop "You'll need to put some of this on your cheeks." He finished, smirking before leaving the room.

I sniffed the black stuff timidly, and quickly pulled it away from my nose when a horrible smell wafted up there.

"This is some cruel practical joke, isn't it?" Maddie moaned, letting out a breath before slumping back against the toilet head. "Ric and Luke want to mock and ridicule us all day, for being naïve enough to trust them and put this on."

"She of little faith." I said to her "They wouldn't dare ruin our ultimate summer."

"Wouldn't they?" She asked seriously, raising an eyebrow, which momentarily threw me off course. I shook my head and looked towards her.

"No Maddie, they wouldn't do that to us. Something tells me they've got something MAJOR planned. Ric was being sneaky, and Ric is never the sneaky type unless he's hiding something from me. So we've got to take this as we would all other surprises. Be completely suspicious and not trust anything they make us do… but go along with it just the same." I said, preparing my camera.

And as Maddie looked up at me, I snapped a quick shot. "We're going to need evidence that it happened, of course." I laughed as her face went bright red.

"Oh, that deserves an immediate retaliation." She said, pulling her own camera from her bag before I could protest, and snapping her own shot of me.

"Oh, I hate you so much right now." I glared at her as she glared back at me.

"Bring it on." She said, before bursting out into fits of laughter. "We really need to spend less time together."

"Oh, but then who would I annoy to hell and back, but still know they would always be there for me?" I pouted, as Maddie threw an arm around me.

"You're the devil Cassie," She said, as we walked out of the bathroom "And I'm the devils best friend."

Laughing as we reached the living room, we looked up and found Ric and Luke in matching outfits. Grinning at one another, we pulled out our cameras and took a photo before either could protest.

"We're ready." I smiled, as I sidled up to Ric and threw my arms around his neck. "Please don't make us hurt you for making us do whatever it is you're going to make us do." I said sweetly, kissing him on the cheek then grabbing Maddie's hand and skipping out the door.

They better not, I thought, otherwise they will pay.

-

-

-

"Ric" Cassie whined, "Is this really necessary? Remember the last time blindfolds were involved. We went camping. And Maddie didn't shut up about it."

"Hey" Maddie said indignantly from the back seat "I did too. Besides, I really DO hate camping. Oh god." She said from under her blindfold "We're not going camping again, are we? Think of those poor hotel rooms, they'll think we've rejected them. The beds will hate us for eternity, not to mention the shower…. And the poor spa bath!"

"Calm down Maddie." Luke said from next to her "I promise you that everything will be just fine. And that we're not going camping. We learned that lesson last time." He finished calmly, as Maddie began to breath normally once more.

Finally, we rounded a corner and came to a stop.

"We're here." I told the girls.

"Thanks Sparky, like we couldn't tell already though." Maddie said sarcastically "The engine already stopped."

"She really doesn't mean to be like this." Luke said in mock sympathy "She's still in shock about us really not going camping."

"Harty ha ha" Maddie said, poking her tongue out as Luke maneuvered her to the front of the car.

"Okay, be prepared. What we're about to do is strenuous. It's not for the faint hearted." I said dramatically, as I smirked at Luke "It's going to take it out of you. It's going to push you to the very limit."

"Okay, voice of doom." Maddie interrupted "Can you please just show us?"

Luke and I counted to three silently before removing their blindfolds simultaneously.

"Well?" I asked, as Maddie and Cassie stared at one another.

Luke and I had thought this was going to be a brilliant idea. But as Maddie and Cassie turned to glare at us, I began to rethink our genius plan.

"Paintball?" Cassie asked me incredulously as she poked my chest "Are you kidding?"

"With the running and the crawling and the dirt?" Maddie whined, sitting down on the hood of the car.

"Couldn't we have just, played by the pool all day?" Cassie moaned, as I pulled her closer to me.

"Aww come on, we thought it would be fun. Girls vs. boys. In a very tame, not a lot of running, simple game of paintball." I said softly, as Cassie continued to pout at me.

"Uh…" She said, "Oh…"

"Who said something about girls versus boys paintball?" A smarmy voice said from behind me.

We whipped around and came face to face with possibly, our worst nightmare.

Henry stood next to Hilary, both smirking at us, while Parker, Lily, Josh and Kaden stood a little behind them, smiling awkwardly.

"Hi Cassie." Kaden said a little too enthusiastically, as he waved, and practically served up his heart to Cass on a silver platter.

Parker smiled widely at me, and winked, not so subtly, as Lily shot Luke a look that clearly said 'I want you.'

I hoped that Cassie and Maddie would ignore this little display. For everyone's sake. But sadly, life never seems to go the way I'd like it to.

"You have got to be kidding me." Cassie groaned, as she pulled away from my hug and walked over to Maddie, then they both stormed off towards the direction of the main hut.

Could this day get worse, before it even began to get better?

"So, when does the game begin?" Henry smirked, putting his arms around mine and Luke's shoulders and dragging us after the girls.

Yeah, it could.

-

-

-

"Why are they here?" I said to Ric in a hushed tone as we followed quickly after the girls.

"Because Henry is the devils spawn, and he and Hilary are plotting world domination through annoying the hell out of EVERYONE, and we're the trial run." Ric snapped at me as we reached the front door, which was still shaking from being slammed shut by the girls.

As I walked into the souvenir hut, I spotted Maddie and Cassie standing near the counter, talking to a man that I presumed was the owner. Neither of them looked too happy to be there, but he continued to yap away, until he noticed the large group that had gathered in the hallway.

"Ahh, this must be the big party we're expecting." He said, smacking his lips as he spoke, and rubbing his hands together.

"Oh you've got to be kidding." Maddie groaned, slumping herself into the available chair and exchanging a look with Cassie.

"Yep, that's us." Henry said happily, walking towards the man. "Henry Hunter" He said, extending his hand "We've got a few more than expected, but that will be okay, won't it?" He said, grinning.

The owner obviously took a liking to Henry, because he simply smiled back and nodded his head.

"I'm glad you all came in appropriate attire" He said finally "You wouldn't believe some of the outfits people turn up here in." He said to Henry, who was still grinning at him evilly, as he followed the owner out the door.

"The game is simple." He said, as he led us towards a large 'start'. "You split into two equal teams, and both run down separate paths towards your flag. Once there, wait for the flare gun to go. Then the game begins. The object of the game is to capture the oppositions flag, while taking down as many players from the opposition as possible, without getting shot yourself."

"Sounds like a real blast" Maddie said sarcastically as Cassie rolled her eyes.

Boy were we in trouble.

"Simple enough." He said, as he looked between the mismatched group Henry had managed to create "So, who's going on which team?" He asked joyfully.

"Boys vs. girls." Lily said, stepping up to the owner.

"Now I don't know if that's fair…" he began, but the look she gave him quickly shut him up.

"I think its about time we females proved we can play war as well as the men." She said, attempting to smile at Maddie and Cass, who just glared back at her. But Lily didn't back down, just smiled harder as she confirmed "Yeah, its boys vs. girls."

"Right, well, as the lass said, 'boys vs. girls.'" He repeated, as everyone began to shuffle around to stand on opposing sides. Hilary smirked at Maddie and Cass as they trudged over to stand next to them, clearly unhappy with the situation we were about to put them in. Josh and Kaden grinned stupidly at one another while Henry smiled evilly at Ric and I. He'd had this planned all along.

Ruin our day. Ruin our holiday. Ruin our relationships. Ruin our lives.

Ric was right. He was the spawn of satan. And we were about to send our girlfriends off with its evil accomplice. Not to mention two of the girls they hated most in the world.

What kind of boyfriend am I? I thought, as I opened my mouth to speak… but the sounding of a gun beat me.

"Best get going." The owner said, grinning as the girls began a slow jog down their own path.

"Come on men." Henry mocked from the front "Pick up the pace, we don't want to fall behind the girls, do we now?"

"We didn't want to do a lot of things…" Ric muttered from beside me "But what I'd really like to do now is punch…"

"Calm down Ric." I intervened quickly "Don't let him get to you. He wants you to retaliate. Don't give Henry the satisfaction of getting what he wants." I said, hoping that the balls for fists that Ric had would slowly disappear. And they did. But Ric continued to glare at the back of his head, no doubt imagining it as target practice.

"So" Josh said as he came to jog beside me "You and Matilda are pretty serious then?" He asked, obviously wanting to pry.

"Yeah." I answered suspiciously "Why?"

"Oh no reason, its just she and Cassie seemed more than willing to get to know Kaden and I on the beach the other day." He replied nonchalantly, "You know, they told us so many stories about what they got up to in highschool…" He began, before I cut him off.

"And each of them probably ended with Ric and I carrying them home drunk in our arms." I said, sighing. I knew the stories. I lived them.

"No" He said, shaking his head. "They all ended with them being held back from having fun with real men." He said evilly.

If Henry had heard, he would've cried like a proud dad.

Why, why must we always be followed by stupid brats who only want to cause problems for us? We're fine in our own little world, what is so wrong with wanting to be left alone there?

"Cassie looked damn fine in that army print." I heard Kaden tell Josh loudly from behind Ric and I.

No, not good.

"Yeah, Maddie looked pretty sexy too." He replied "Especially imagining her in like, Army boots and nothing else."

He smirked as I turned around to glare at them, and I noted when I turned back around that Ric's face looked slightly pinched, his hands fisted into balls once more.

This was not good at all.

-

-

-

"Okay." Hilary said as the somewhat mismatched group gathered around the 'team' flag. "When that flair goes up, we're splitting into groups. Maddie you go with Lily, she's taller than you, so you'll make a good pair. I mean, you're short so you'll be able to drop to the ground and Lily can look around for you." She said to me, smirking through every word "And Cassie and Parker, you'll team up too. Because, well, I'm going to stay and watch the flag." She stated, pulling out a little chair and ripping her clothes off to reveal hot pants and a bikini top.

"OH HELL NO." I said, getting angry, walking over to her and pushing her "If we have to all this stuff with the … dirt…" I said, struggling to get the words out. "And the paint balls and the army like stuff, what in the world makes you think that you're getting out of it?" I said, pushing on her shoulders aggressively.

"Because" She said, pushing me back "I don't do running. Or dirt."

"And you think we do?" Cassie asked, coming to stand next to me, glaring down at Hilary, who refused to budge.

"More than me." She replied, smirking as she sat down in the chair she'd brought along. "Besides, a little exercise will do you two the world of good." She said, beginning to whisper "I see your thighs have gotten a little… chunkier… than last summer. Might want to work that off." She said, as the flair gun sounded.

"That's your cue." She said, smiling sweetly, and waving at us "Buh bye."

Feeling the anger rise inside, I threw back my arm, ready to take the witch down, but I felt Cassie dragging me away. So instead I kicked dirt towards her, which went into her eyes, and all over her body.

I ran away from the damn flag with the sweet sounds of Hilary's shrieking in my ears.

"If we weren't out here, with them," Cassie said, nodding towards Parker and Lily "That could almost be music to my ears." She said, smiling, as we ran straight into Parker and Lily, who had decided to stop.

"What the hell is going on today?" I moaned as I picked myself up from the dirt, and tried to get some of the stuff off me "Are we cursed Cassie?" I asked her, as she glared at Parker "We must be, even crappy August wasn't this bad."

"Shhhh" Parker said, putting a finger to her lips. "We've got to be quiet if we intend to win."

"Yeah right." I scoffed "No way are we winning. Cass and I couldn't care less, also." I said, as if saying 'duh.'

"Well, we do. So now we're splitting up." Parker said, motioning for Cassie to follow her.

Cass shot me a 'She's kidding, right?' look as she stood still.

"Well?" Parker said, obviously growing impatient. Such a short temper, that one. With devil horns too.

"We aren't splitting up. And if we are, Maddie and I are going one way, and you and Lily are going the other." Cass said in her own 'duh' voice. "Give me one good reason to go trudging into open bush land with the girl who wants to steal my boyfriend?" She added rather spitefully.

"Fine." Parker said through gritted teeth "We stick together. Come on." She said.

As Cass and I began to follow, I thought of something.

"How come you get to be in charge? What about us, eh? We deserve to be given a shot."

"Fine." Parker agreed again, sharing a look with Lily, "You and Cassie are more than welcome to lead. Now, which direction would you like?" She said, folding her hands over her chest and looking at me.

"Um." I said "How about that way." I continued, pointing a direction that I thought the boys might be in.

"You mean north-west?" Lily said, obviously trying to show off. What it really told me was that the poor girl had no life and actually passed geography in the school certificate.

"Whatever." I said, linking hands with Cassie.

"Think of it as a cardio bar." I said, as Cassie groaned "Yogalaties." I whispered, which made Cassie burst out into laughter.

"Yogalaties." She yelled, as Parker and Lily both said "SHHHH" from behind us, as they continued to creep along, which only caused for Cass and I to giggle more.

"You know what we could do to pass time?" I asked Cassie, as she shook her head.

I handed her an earphone, and my eighties mix came blasting through the headphone.

"_Ninety-nine red balloons  
Floating in the summer sky…"_

"We've been at this for hours." I moaned, as we continued to amble behind Parker and Lily.

"Imagine how crap their sex life must be." Parker tried to whisper, but I heard every word.

"What did you just say?" I asked, walking up to her and spinning her around to face me.

"You heard me. I said, 'Imagine how crap your sex life must be.' Poor Ric and Luke, they probably don't know what they've been missing out on." She said, a wicked grin appearing on her face.

"Yeah right." Cassie said, standing full force over them.

"No, seriously." Lily said, "All you two ever do is whine and moan and lay by the pool or the beach. Like you actually have a future with Luke and Ric. They need females who know how to handle them. And that would be our cue to take over."

"Like hell." I screamed at them.

"No, like reality." Parker spat back at us. "Because what you two are living in is a dream world. And we proved that, didn't we? They told us things they hadn't even thought about telling you. What does that prove? That they can't tell you things, that you've got 'communication barriers'. Whatever the hell it is, its an opening for us." She said, getting into Cassie's face "And we're going to take it."

"Is that a threat?" Cassie asked, not backing down.

"No." Parker said, seeing something over Cassie's shoulder. "It's a promise." She said, running off, with Lily close behind her.

Cass motioned to follow, but I'd seen something else. A little white flag, all on its lonesome, not four meters away. I walked over and snatched it up, smiling triumphantly at Cassie, who smiled back momentarily, before we both heard screams coming from Parker and Lily's direction.

We jogged down to a clearing, to see Ric and Luke playfully mucking around with Parker and Lily, a scene reminiscent of that in _10 Things I Hate About You_, when they go paint balling.

The strangest thing was, the first feeling I had wasn't anger. It was despair.

We were losing them. And we couldn't stop it.

-

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AN:Thanks to Jade for proofing. You rock. Thischapter was a long time coming, and hate me if you will. But no flames. Thanks for the reviews and the patience, but I swear, I've got heaps written. I hope you enjoyed it!


	12. Chapter 12: Night of Memories

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Enjoy guys!

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Twelve: Night of Memories._

"_Come on baby we ain't gunna live forever  
__Let me show you all the things I wanna do  
__I know you wanna be together  
__And I wanna spent the night with you"_

_-Forever, The Veronicas._

-

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-

"Trust me," I said to Ric "What we need is for the girls to have a good, drunken night out. Then, as we carry them into the bedroom and put them gently to bed, they'll remember how much we love them and just how much they shouldn't feel threatened by two girls we just met." I finished, sitting back against the lounge.

The pain, the hurt, that had appeared on Maddie's face hours before was still fresh in my mind. Parker and Lily, they'd started a war and Ric and I couldn't help but retaliate. Before we knew it, paint balls were flying everywhere.

Suddenly, Maddie and Cassie were there, with darkened clothes and dirt smudged on their cheeks. And Maddie held up our white flag and said coldly, distantly "We win. Lets go." Cassie had gently taken her hand and led her down the pathway to the exit. They hadn't even spared a glare for Ric and I. It had been as if they'd shut down.

They'd stared out of their chosen windows while we'd driven back to the hotel. The look in their eyes reflecting the far off world they'd both run away to. When we'd returned to the room, Maddie had walked silently into the lounge room, grabbed the season three box set of the _Gilmore Girl, _and followed Cassie into she and Ric's room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

And that's where they'd been ever since.

"They took season three." Ric mulled from next to me. "Season three is the Jess season. And they really only watch that alone when…" He trailed off, not wanting to speak to words aloud.

"When they are seriously in a funk. Or in a mood. Or pissed as hell at us." I finished, as I groaned and put my head in my hands.

Everything was so messed up. Again. And it had never been this bad. I'd never not known how to right our wrongs… how to fix things. We'd all been so happy in school, so lost in our own naïve world, but since the summer had begun, since school ended, everything has begun to unravel, slowly, before our very eyes. Again.

And finally, we were left here. With the girls locked in a room, sobbing as Jess left Rory, the love of his life; and Ric and I alone on a couch, not knowing what to do.

Then, as if my prayers were answered, I heard the click of a lock, and a door slowly creak open. Ric and I both swivelled around to see Maddie and Cassie emerge from the room. Both looked dishevelled and teary eyed as they timidly walked over to Ric and I. Maddie came to stand in front of me, her bottom lip quivering, as she threw herself down on me and quite possibly tried to sink into my lap. Her head was buried into my chest as she cried, "Jess left her Luke. Even after he looked it up, he left. It wasn't fair. Because then she up and slept with Dean and ruined everything…" And the tears were pouring down her cheeks onto my shirt, she was crying so hard she couldn't say any more.

So I did what any super supportive boyfriend of a TV show couple obsessed girlfriend should (and would) do in this situation, I pulled her close and rubbed her back gently, until all that was left was a quiet sniffle here and there. She looked so small and vulnerable sitting in my arms, leaning into my chest. All I really wanted to do was protect her from the evils of the world. But, deep down, I knew she would hate me forever if I didn't let her make her own mistakes… let her live her own life.

"You alright?" I murmured into Maddie's ear, as she nodded sleepily against my chest.

"We're good, right Luke?" She said gently, snuggling into my chest. "I want us to be good."

And that's was all I really needed to hear. I looked down the see her sleeping form curled tight in my arms, and I realised that despite everything, we still had faith in one another. That was the most important thing.

I heard a noise, and looked up to see Ric sitting on the lounge, Cassie's head in his lap, as he stroked her hair, lulling her into sleep. He looked up and met my eyes, and smiled at me. Everything was okay for him too. I sighed, before cradling Maddie into my arms as I stood up, and walking into our bedroom.

Tomorrow was another day. A day that would involve a lot of making up, just to be sure that everything was okay with us.

-

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-

"You know how much we love you for this, right?" Cassie said to me as she took my hand and pulled me into the next shop.

"Yeah, yeah." I muttered as I adjusted the many bags I was carrying with my free hand. Funnily enough, it was also the majority of Cassie's shopping purchases. The things we do for these girls.

Luke and I had decided that, despite everything that had happened last night, we still needed to make it up to Maddie and Cassie. So shopping it was, which included a day full of lugging around bags, endless change room antics and Luke and I constantly pulling out our wallets to spoil our girlfriends.

But they were worth it. She was worth it.

"Ohhhh" I heard Cassie gush loudly, as Maddie squealed, "It's perfect."

They were never a good combination of words. Not in a clothing shop. Not for us – the ones who would eventually hand over the money.

Luke strolled over to me and rolled his eyes. "Looks like they've found something _else_" He said rather gravely, as I nodded sympathetically at him. "And in five, four, three…" He counted "two… one…" He said, as Maddie yelled "LUKE"

"Is it wrong that we know this much about them?" He asked me as we manoeuvred our way to the change room and mirrors.

"Only when it comes to shopping" I replied, as we found Cassie and Maddie admiring themselves in front of a large mirror.

Okay, so maybe shopping was a rather good idea, I thought as I caught Luke's eye and smirked at him. Maddie and Cassie had found their ultimate outfits. I honestly didn't normally check Maddie out, because its just… wrong. But I can appreciate a natural beauty when I saw one. And she and Cassie, they were natural beauties. And then they went and found… those clothes.

Maddie had found a lace black corset top, which did up on the front. It hugged her in all the right places, showing off her defined figure. The tiny black hot pants she'd pulled from the rack allowed her long, slim legs freedom. Any guy within a five kilometre radius would be a fool not to fall at her feet.

Cassie had chosen a short red dress. The top was cut like Maddie's corset top, and hugged her body to her hips. A line of buttons drew attention to her cleavage, and if you followed them down, you came to the short skirt part, with a bubble type hem. It left nothing to the imagination, and was, by far, the hottest article of clothing she'd tried on all day.

"That" I said to Cassie as I pulled her into me, "is defiantly a keeper" I finished muttering as I nuzzled into her neck.

"Down boy." She said laughing as she pulled away from me, and I began to pout. "Save it for tonight." She said, as she walked into the change room and shut the door.

I followed her and leant against the door. "What do you mean, 'save it for tonight'? What's going on tonight?"

"Nothing." She replied nonchalantly as she swung open the door.

"Yeah right." I said, as I took the dress from her and walked over to the counter, where Luke was currently paying for Maddie's outfit.

"Should we tell them?" Maddie asked Cassie, as I handed over my card for the sales girl to swipe.

"Tell us what?" Luke asked, as he added the bag to the pile of others he was carrying.

"Okay, so maybe we didn't just watch the _Gilmore Girls._" Cassie said shyly as took the bag with her dress in it. "Maybe, we did a little Coyote research." She continued, rather coyly.

"Coyote research?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow. "We'd appreciate a detailed description please."

"Well…" Maddie said, sidling up to him "We found out about this, bar. That has Coyotes." She said, smiling sneakily at Cassie who grinned back.

"As in…" I said slowly "The Coyotes in _Coyote Ugly_?" I asked incredulously, my jaw dropping open as Maddie and Cass nodded.

"Where do we sign up?" Luke smirked finally, able to regain his voice before me.

"You mean…" I asked finally "You two, up, on a bar… dancing like they did?", still wrapping my head around the idea.

"Yep." Cassie said firmly, as if she were afraid I was going to get all possessive on her, and lock her in a room, never to see the sunlight again.

"I'm with Luke." I said finally, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. "Where do we sign up?"

And that set Maddie and Cassie off with squeals.

And I had to wonder what Luke and I had just gotten ourselves into.

"Trust us," Cassie said as she came over and flung her arms around my neck "You two are going to have the best night ever. And look after us when we're through being trashed and dancing on a bar." She said sneakily.

"Ah, and the real reason we're invited comes out." I said mockingly as I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek "We're just here for your protection."

Cassie contemplated it for a moment before giggling and saying, "Yeah, pretty much."

"Oh, you're going down for that." I said, attempting to tickle her as she ran out of my arms.

Things were definitely looking up.

-

-

-

"This is going to be so much fun." Maddie said from behind me. She'd been dancing away all afternoon, and I had begun to become a little scared of the dance monster machine we'd created.

I finished applying my crimson lipstick, and with one final smack of my lips, I turned around to Maddie and asked "Well?" She stopped dancing momentarily to critically analyse my outfit, before breaking out into a huge grin and replying "Perfect" and pulling me into a hug.

"This is what the summer was supposed to be about." She said, as she pulled away and went to check her own make-up once more "The four of us going out partying, having a brilliant time, not having to worry about skanks by the name of Parker or Lily, or evil spawns of Satan by the names of Henry or Hilary." She said, rather angrily.

"Don't forget bogan guys who can't take a hint by the name of Josh and Kaden." I added as Maddie smirked slightly at me in the mirror.

"How could I possibly forget? Those guys must be the dumbest of their breed." She said, finally content with the make-up she'd applied. "Done." She said, smiling, as we exited the bathroom together, and walked into the living room to find Luke and Ric on the floor playing another car racing game on the PS2.

"It's like we never left." I mocked to Maddie, who grinned rather evilly before walking over in her heeled shoes, and pulling out the games power supply.

"Hey." Ric and Luke cried in unison, as they looked at their black screen.

"You promised us no play station." Maddie pouted, her hands on her hips, her bottom lip quivering. God that girl should be an actress. She sure knew how to work an audience.

It was only then, when Maddie was standing so provocatively in front of Luke, in _that_ outfit, that it finally hit them where we were going… and how we were dressed.

Ric swivelled around and eyed me up and down, before grinning slightly. He pushed himself up from the floor and walked over to me. Pulling me close, he said to me suggestively "We wouldn't want that outfit to go to waste, would we?"

"You just want to show off." I said to him, raising an eyebrow. He nodded somewhat sheepishly, before grinning at me. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to show you off. I want everyone to know what I've got, and what they can't have, right?"

"Here, here." Luke said from the other side of the room, as Maddie began to beat him down. "It was a compliment, I swear." He said, as he pulled her fists away from his chest and jokingly began to pick her up and twirl her around.

"Its tragically sad, but we're like kinky old married couples." I said, as Maddie and Luke stopped to look at me.

"Okay." Maddie said, grabbing her purse and walking quickly towards the door "That's an image that a few quick drinks will get out of my head." She said, glaring evilly at me as she breezed past me.

"Oh honey, there are plenty of images where that one came from." I said, following her quickly. "How about… all the kinky things we'll get up to when we're old and bored."

"Shut up Cassie." She replied, as Ric and Luke began to laugh in the background.

"And when we're old and ancient friends, we'll compare what kind of positions we can still do." I continued mocking Maddie as her hands flew to her ears and she groaned.

"That image is going to need more than a few drinks you cruel, cruel woman." She said as we reached the car.

"Nah ah." I said to Ric as he pulled out the keys "We're walking this one."

"In these shoes?" Luke mocked, as Maddie wacked him in the chest again. "Yes. In these shoes. They are my comfortable heels." She replied, smirking at him as she grabbed my hand and pulled me down the walkway.

"You two are strange." Ric muttered, as I smiled at Maddie who grinned back at me, before yelling back to Ric and Luke "Yeah, but we've also dressed like, well, skanks. And I'm sure there are others that will appreciate what we have to offer." She said, smirking at them.

"Oh," Luke said, pulling her back to him "I never said I didn't appreciate it. Because I do. Very much so."

"Is that right?" Maddie replied teasingly, as her eyes lit up. "Ohh look, we're here." She said, pointing to a club across the road.

"You mean, it was only just around the corner?" Ric asked me, as I nodded back. "So that's why we walked, right? Five more minutes away, and we'd be driving." He added, looking at Luke.

"You know us so well." I smiled, kissing Ric's cheek before pulling him across the road to the line for the club.

"This is going to be so much fun." Maddie squealed excitedly.

"And she's hyped up without a touch of alcohol. Who said being sober wasn't fun?" Ric mocked, as Maddie poked her tongue out at him.

"Okay, this could get ugly." I said, as I looked between Maddie and Ric "So I proclaim that there will be no more mocking tonight. We are just here to have fun, to dance, and to get smashed off our heads."

"Here, here." Maddie replied, high fiving me.

"And we're in." Maddie screamed over the music as we showed the Security Guard our ID's.

The music vibrated through the floor, as we walked into a room that had bars attached to all four walls. As if that wasn't enough, in the centre of the room was a raised stage, which doubled as a dance floor. Bodies were moving in any free space. Melding into one another. Moving slowly, quickly, any which way, with the music which beat strongly around us. I smiled at Ric, who pulled me close to him and began to move gently. But I felt myself being ripped from his group.

"Nope, not time for that yet." Maddie yelled over the music "I see a spot on the bar opening up. Oh its on." She said crazily as she pulled me up on the bar.

She grabbed a tequila shot on the way up, and downed it quickly before smiling at me and beginning to move her body wildly around, her hips swaying from side to side, her arms moving up and down her body, her eyes closed.

Apparently she _really _wanted to be lost in the moment. And something about the way she looked free, and content, made me want to join her there. I smiled and waved at Ric and Luke, who had found some of the few available chairs in the place, and sat down in them. Far enough not to cramp Maddie and I, but close enough to save us from anything that could ruin our night.

They were always so thoughtful.

I leant down to grab a shot, and downed it as quickly as Maddie had done, before grabbing another two, one for me, one for Maddie. I stood up and passed it to her.

"To a great Summer" I yelled, making the toast over the pumping music "To great memories" She replied, smiling at me, as we clinked our glasses together and shot them down.

Something told me that tonight was going to be one we'd always remember.

-

-

-

"Cassie." I said, slurring a little, as I threw my arms to my head and moved my hips seductively "Is it time for another shot yet?"

She looked at her wrist, and made a face as she replied, "I don't know. Maybe we should ask the boys?"

"After one more song." I replied, closing my eyes and letting the music overwhelm me "This is too much fun to stop just yet."

"Agreed." I heard Cassie reply. The music pumped louder through the air, and vibrated harder through the floor, up the bar and into my legs, which were glued to the bar top. A thin layer of sweat had formed over my body, a mixture of the constant movement, the heat that hung in the air, and the cramped room we were in. I didn't mind though, because as I heard the beats of the music, I began to be lost in a world where movement was everything. A world where I was consumed by one singular thought.

Dance.

My hips swayed continuously, my arms moved up and down my body, running over my hips, over my side, flowing up and down. I'd lost track of all things that could be measured. Time and space didn't exist any more. What did was the feeling of being alive. And I'd felt that ever since we'd arrived here.

Then it hit me like a tonne of bricks. There was a shriek in the background of the music, and I knew it could only belong to one person. My eyes snapped open, and I looked over to see Ric and Luke standing up and glaring at Henry and Hilary, who were accompanied by none other than Josh, Kaden, Parker and Lily.

I turned to face Cassie who had obviously heard the came poisonous noise that had snapped me out of my fantasy world.

"They wouldn't?" She asked, her eyes wide with fear, any high the alcohol had given us was gone.

"I think they just did." I replied, as I watched Lily grab Luke's hand and lead him towards the dance floor. Cass grabbed my hand as she caught sight of Ric and Parker moving, in what I thought, was a somewhat awkward manner. But as soon as Lily moved with Luke, I knew exactly what she was feeling. Dread, betrayal, and an utter need for revenge.

"How could they do this to us? Again!" She screamed over the music, as our eyes stayed glued to their moving forms, which edged closer and closer towards one another. Now they were in 'Danger Will Robinson, Danger!' zone, and I didn't like it one bit.

Then, I looked over and saw Henry and Hilary leaning back against a bar, smiling evilly at Cassie and I. And once again, I wondered how I could have possibly misjudged Henry and Hilary. It seemed they really were the evillest people alive.

I turned to tell Cass, but heard something behind us.

"Aww, waiting for us to come and dance?" A strangely familiar, and very annoying voice said from behind me. I turned to see Josh smiling at me, Kaden behind him grinning stupidly.

"My god. Can't you take a hint?" I groaned, as they both continued to smile at us. "We are not interested," I said slowly, spelling it out for them.

Nothing. They continued to grin. How thick headed could they possibly be?

I pushed past them to walk down off the bar, but Josh grabbed my hand and pulled me back against him.

"What, is ignoring people when they ask nicely for something another one of your specialities?" He asked, grinning evilly.

Pushing him off me, I slapped his face.

"Yeah, and that's one too. Now leave us the hell alone." I said angrily at him as his hands went to the cheek I'd slapped and rubbed it.

"Come on Kaden." He said, glaring at me "They aren't worth it."

"And finally, they get it." I replied joyfully to Cassie, who smirked at them as they walked away, their pride obviously deeply wounded.

"High five girlfriend." Cass said happily as she slapped my hand.

"Now, there are two more problems we need to deal with." I replied, narrowing my eyes and making my way to where the witches were attempting (pitifully) to charm their prey.

"Get off them." I screamed over the music, as they turned around abruptly and glared at us… apparently annoyed at us for ruining their fun.

"We're just dancing." Lily replied nonchalantly, attemping to move closer to Luke, who simply stepped away from her.

"Oh no, we're not getting into this. This is between you four." He said, believing it was the right thing to say.

"Excuse me Lucas Holden?" I snapped, hands on my hips, waiting for him to explain.

"Oh well I…. I thought…" He said, beginning to stutter.

"You did not just think." I screamed at him " She's been all over you since the minute you got here. And Parker's been all over Ric. And neither of you did anything to stop them."

"We were just dancing." Ric replied, joining in to save their cause.

"He did not just say that." Cassie muttered under her breath, her hands itching by her side.

"I think he just did." I said, stunned by the fact that neither Ric nor Luke thought they had been doing anything wrong.

"Look, you two were up on the bar," Parker said, stepping away from Ric and walking towards us "And Ric and Luke looked bored. Its not our fault they wanted to dance, but you two were too busy getting trashed to care." She said sweetly, looking at us like a lost puppy.

I felt Cassie's hand twitch again, and I knew this could not end happily. But right now I was too angry to care.

"Ever since you met them, you've been attempting to worm your way into their hearts. Don't you get it sister, they aren't taking the bait. So get a clue, and back off. Especially if you know what's good for you." I said, attempting to save Parker from what was about to be near fatal embarrassment.

No such luck.

"I don't think so." She said, shaking her head and smiling sweetly.

And that's when it happened. Cassie's hand was as quick as lightning, it was up against Parkers cheek in a second, and the slap echoed around the club. Then Parker was stumbling back onto the ground, her hands rubbing the instant red mark that had appeared. Lily of course flocked to her side, their 'holier than thou' innocent act staying strong.

But Cassie had broken out into a grin next to me.

"That felt really good." She said, as I nodded, grinning with her momentarily, before I felt my body get shoved to the ground.

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AN: Thanks to Jade for proofing. You're a legend. Okay, so I'm mean, but don't hate me. Everything will be sorted out eventually! I hope you continue to enjoy this story!


	13. Chapter 13: Last Weeks Fights

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Enjoy guys!

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Thirteen: Last Weeks Fights_

_Once upon a time I was falling in love  
But now I'm only falling apart  
There's nothing I can do  
A total eclipse of the heart  
Once upon a time there was light in my life  
But now there's only love in the dark  
Nothing I can say  
A total eclipse of the heart  
- Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Bonnie Tyler_

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I groaned as I felt the tiniest line of sunlight filter through into my eyes. And then, it was everywhere. I sat up quickly, which wasn't a good thing because then the room started spinning and I had to sit still for a couple of minutes until I could even look up.

I heard another groan beside me, and I slowly turned my head to see Cassie sitting up, definitely slower than I had. Smart ass.

"You're head screwed too?" I croaked out, realising that I needed water more than the greasy food I was craving.

"Yeah." She replied eventually "But so are my hands. And my legs. We didn't get that trashed, did we? I mean, we're in the hotel dressed in our PJ's… what happened obviously didn't take that much out of us." She continued, as she fully turned to face me.

"You sure about that Rocky?" I said, gasping, as I crawled over in the bed and pulled the right side of her face towards me. Right there, no so subtly, was a big purple shiny bruise. "How the hell did you get that?" I asked, as she looked at me, shocked. "How did you get that?" She answered in reply, as I took my hand from her face and felt the fresh cut that had been created between my eyebrows.

Fuck.

"LUKE!" I screamed, as Cassie covered her ears. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED LAST NIGHT!"

But he didn't come running into my room. In fact, there was no sound of movement, except my small pants where I had strained myself to get Luke.

After a few moments I turned abruptly to Cassie and asked in a rather demanding tone "They aren't coming, are they?"

She shook her head as her face fell sadly. Not only were we bruised and battered, but also, our boyfriends had also totally ditched us in our hour of need. Had we suddenly been thrust into an alternate universe, where the world had gone mad? I felt as if I was losing my mind, and the splitting headache that I had wasn't helping much either.

I heard a soft whimper from the other side of me, and I twisted around to see Cassie tucking her legs up under her, resting her chin on her knees, hugging her entire body close to her. And I saw a single tear trickle down her cheek. She looked up at me, her bottom quivering, the tears threatening to spill.

"They are with them, Maddie." She finally said softly, handing me a crumpled sheet of paper that was already tear stained in a few places.

_Dear Girls,_

_There is a hangover cure made up and sitting in the fridge. Room service has a breakfast waiting for you as soon as you buzz them. _

_We've arranged for you to have a day in the spa, while we go and vent some of our frustration. _

_Aside from getting into fist fights with girls that have done nothing wrong, you apparently don't trust us either. So hopefully when we get back this afternoon we'll be able to sit and talk about this like calm adults._

_Enjoy your day,_

_Luke and Ric_

_Xoxo_

"What the hell?" I said aloud, reading it over and over. "They are annoyed at … us… for fighting with those, those…" I began, but couldn't comprehend the right combination of words to describe those two girls.

"They are with them." Cassie repeated from next to me, the tears flowing more freely down her face now "Because we pushed them away."

"Oh no honey." I said, knowing that I needed to be the strong one "They aren't with them. They would never do that to us, no matter how much they were annoyed with us. And we didn't push them away. They are just a little confused. That's it. Nothing more." I said, pulling her into a hug as she cried on my shoulder.

"Its going to be okay Cass." I said, as I rubbed circles on her back, just as Mum had done when I was a child to calm me down "Its going to be fine, because we're going to stick together. And we're going to eat away their room service bill, and then go to the spa and be pampered for the afternoon." I said, hoping to cheer her up for a moment at least.

She sniffed a little as she smiled up at me. "That sounds pretty good Maddie." She replied, smiling "As long as we stick together."

"Sounds like a plan." I replied, giving her one final hug before standing up slowly "Come on, we better get that food into us." I continued, groaning as I pulled Cassie up.

"Mmm, nothing says hung over like a fatty cooked breakfast, right?" I asked Cass, and she continued to smile at me.

"Nope. And nothing says hung over like this bad drink either." She said, as I passed her the form of liquid we'd been left by Ric and Luke. The brown gloop had sunk to the bottom, and was thick and icky looking. Strained, light brown water was floating on top, with a thin stick of celery sticking out the top.

"Are we sure we trust them?" I asked, as Cass grinned unsurely at me.

"No." She replied, taking a sniff of the drink "But this headache is going to be the death of me unless I do something. And they wouldn't… do that, would they?" She finished worriedly.

"We've got no other choice." I replied, as I pinched my nose and gulped down the drink quickly. It hit me like a tonne of bricks, and I began coughing momentarily before I finally calmed down.

"God that tastes like crap." I choked out, as Cass grinned weakly at me.

"Now for the fatty food." She said, finishing the last of her drink and walking over to the phone.

"Room service?" She asked into the receiver "Yeah, we'd like two of everything on your breakfast menu, and double the coffee." She said, smirking at me "Yep, charge it to their bill. Thank you." She said, hanging up.

"You're positively evil." I replied, taking a cautious sip of the drink "And inspired. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse." I replied, as my stomach spoke for me, letting out a large grumble.

"Well, you practically will." Cass grinned back, as I high fived her.

Things didn't look so bad from here.

-

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"God I feel full." I remarked to Cassie who was rubbing her belly contentedly, she nodded, and yawned sleepily.

"I could really go to that pampering session right about now. A nice sleepy back rub is just what I need to get the tension of the last couple of days… or weeks, out." She said, sitting back into her chair.

"We've been here a week. And things are basically ruined." I said suddenly, as it hit me. "We're supposed to be having this amazing time, with drinks on the beach, and white sand and clear sea, and beautiful nights when all we have to worry about is whether to set the alarm for ten or eleven the next morning." I said, beginning to ramble. "How is it that we ended up here, with only a few days left, and no fun to speak of?" I asked loudly, to no one in particular.

"Because the world wants us to fail Maddie." Cassie mumbled, "Now can we please get going? I feel the need for a nap."

"Fine, fine" I grumbled, grabbing the room key and pulling Cass up from the chair she'd been lying in "But this discussion is far from over." I warned as we walked out the door, shutting it behind us.

"I wouldn't dream of stopping you mid rant Maddie." Cassie replied sarcastically as we made our way down the hall. "Because then you'd doubly rant, and that is even worse." She said, smirking at we hopped inside the elevator.

"That is beside the point Cassie." I replied, becoming slightly infuriated "We've lost our boyfriends when we needed them most, how can you be so, cool about this?" I asked, as she sighed and looked at me.

"Because I've still got my best friend." She replied, "Hoes over bros. Remember?" She said, raising her hand and punching my knuckles and I fisted my hand and punched hers back.

"Hoes over bros." I replied, smiling at her "Always and forever." I said, as she hugged me quickly. "Now, can we get on with the pampering?" She asked, as she pulled away, wiping her eyes quickly.

"Yes, and no more tears." I said, attempting to sound threatening. "We're not spilling any more tears over those boys." I said, as the elevator doors opened and we stepped out into the marbled floor lobby "Because we're strong, independent women, with control of their cards and money." I said, grinning as we reached the front desk.

"How can I help you?" the young lady at the desk asked Cassie and I sweetly.

"Appointments for Cassie Turner and Matilda Hunter please? I believe we're booked in all afternoon." I replied, smiling at the lady as she clicked a few buttons and smiled back at us. "I've got you down for a Cellular Hydrating Facial at midday, followed by Diamond Body Perfection indulgence at one-thirty, a massage at three-thirty, and finishing with a deluxe manicure and pedicure at four-thirty, which should have both of you out of here by six. You will of course, be provided with nibbles and drinks throughout the afternoon, and dinner will be provided for you after this." She said happily as she passed over sheets to Cassie and I.

"Thank you so much." Cassie said from next to me.

"You're very welcome Ladies." She replied, "Now, if you'll just go right through there, someone should be waiting to collect you." She continued, pointing down the hallways "Enjoy your afternoon."

We thanked her once more before walking down the hallway. Something told me this afternoon was exactly what Cassie and I needed. And that the boys knew us more than we believed.

"You think this is okay?" Cassie asked me.

"I think its perfect." I replied happily, as we continued down the hallway.

-

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"My god I feel like a million bucks." I groaned blissfully as I stood up from the chair.

"I never thought people rubbing my body all afternoon would make me feel _this_ good." Cassie said in agreement as she yawned and stretched her arms above her head.

"Its like, all the stress and tension and drama, it's gone. And what's left is wonderfully perfect nails and toe nails." I said, admiring my wonderfully polished fingernails.

"And a very good aura" Cassie said, smiling at my confused face.

"We're projecting happy thoughts. As opposed to the revengeful, angry thoughts we were projecting this morning. Hence, a good aura, as opposed to an angry, bad one." Cassie said, clapping her hands together gleefully as I finally got what she was on about.

"And it also makes you amazingly hungry. Can we go eat now?" I asked, rounding the corner to the dining room. We were still dressed in our fluffy white dressing gowns and slippers that had been given to us when we first arrived in the spa. They'd promised to wash and press our clothes and have them sent back to our room. It was all part of the fee, so Cass and I didn't have the heart to argue.

"Mmm, I could go a nice avocado and pine nut salad right about now." Cassie said, making my mouth water at the thought "With a nice cold bottle of water to re-hydrate our skin even more.

We turned a corner, and the dining room came into sight. Unfortunately at that time, Ric and Luke also came into sight. And they weren't alone.

I began to march towards them. Obviously we'd had round one, and I was more than ready for round two, but Cassie pulled me back behind the wall and placed a finger to her lips. Seconds later, their voices became louder, and then it appeared as if they'd stopped right in front of us. We stayed silent, catching them at what seemed to be the beginning of the conversation.

"We're really sorry about last night." Ric began "I just don't know what got into Maddie and Cassie. Generally they are really cool with us hanging out with girls."

"I'm sure they are." Parker replied sweetly, and I almost gagged. "I think they are just feeling a tad threatened by us. I mean, its not often you find females who enjoy surfing as much as we do. And with all the life changes that are going on, its no wonder that they feel the way they do." She continued as she moved closer to Ric.

"Its okay though." She said, touching his arm "We know that they are cool girls, and we would be more than willing to make good with them… if they didn't hate us so much." She said, pulling away and playing the innocent card.

I felt Cassie's hand flinch beside me, and I then everything had clicked. Last night, we'd gotten into somewhat of a pub brawl with the two evil wenches. That's how we'd ended up all bruised and battered. And that's how those little witches had Luke and Ric under their spell. Because we'd started everything.

Why are boys so naïve?

"Oh they don't hate you." Ric said to Parker, pulling her into a hug "They just have A LOT on their mind, what with University and such. That's what's been stressing them out. Seriously, it's not you two. You've been nothing but nice to them, and to us." He added, as Parker looked up at him.

"You really think so?" She said, her eyes wide, full of that fake innocence that made me want to slap her again.

"Yeah guys." Luke chimed in "Maddie and Cassie are usually great. If they weren't so stressed they'd be more than willing to get to know you two." He said, as I turned to Cassie.

"What the hell do they think is making us so stressed?" I said in a hushed tone " Not Uni. Its those two slags. Who, no matter what, manage to keep scamming on our boyfriends. And they keep falling for it." I whispered angrily, as Cassie glared at the two.

"They are so manipulative." She said "And I thought we were manipulative! They take it to a whole new level." She continued as she glared at them "How cruel can two people be?" She asked.

"Crueler than cruel." I replied "But they got nothing on these two." I said, noticing two more people that were walking to join the conversation.

"Speak of the devil, and the devil doth appear." Cassie said as she saw them too.

Henry and Hilary. The devils spawn.

"Well, well, well." Henry said to the group "Just the guy I wanted to see." He said, clapping his hand on Ric's shoulder, as he turned to glare at Henry.

"At least some things haven't changed" Cassie whispered to me, as I grinned slightly.

"Have you told him yet?" Henry asked of Parker, who shook her head and smiled broadly at them.

"This cannot be good." I moaned, as Parker turned to Ric.

"The thing is, Henry and Hilary could not shut up about how good your surfing was when we were hanging yesterday." She began "And the hotel manager just so happened to walk by and hear us gushing." She continued "And he asked if he could see a tape. So thank god we just happened to have the tape on us, when we recorded us surfing the other day. And he loved it Ric." She said, hugging him tightly "He really loved it. And he's going to offer you a job up here. Teaching surfing." She said happily, hugging Ric as his face paled momentarily.

I felt Cassie grab for my hand as he smiled broadly and picked Parker up and spun her around.

"Are you serious?" He screamed happily "That's brilliant."

"Mate that's awesome. How brilliant would that be for a job?' Luke said, as he and Ric did their little handshake thing when he'd put Parker down "Its like, perfect for you man." He said, as Ric nodded.

"I know. Surfing the waves every day, and then teaching it to people and being paid to surf. Its like, my dream job!" He said, backing up and looking as shocked as ever.

"You're serious right?" He said finally, after realising that it had been Henry who prompted the conversation.

"Deadly serious." He said, without a smirk, or even a grin. "That dude over there that's pointing to us," He said nudging his head in the direction of a man who was in a dark suit "He's the manager, and hes about to come over here and tell you himself." Henry said, just as the man began to walk over.

"So we're going to leave you to it. Have a nice night guys." Hilary said, taking Henry's hand and walking away.

Ric had enough time to share a look with Luke before the guy in the suit reached him.

"Hello Eric, I'm James, the Hotel Manager." He said, extending his hand for Ric to shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you James." Ric replied as he shook his hand.

"Now I'm sure these two lovely ladies have told you" James said, nodding towards Parker and Lily "But I managed to come across a tape of your surfing, and I have to tell you, I was very, very impressed. It just so happens that a position in the hotel as a surfing instructor has come up, and I think I speak for everyone when I say, we'd love to have you onboard." He said, as Ric grinned back at him. "Of course, I wouldn't expect your answer until the end of January, as the position doesn't start until the middle of February."

"Well that makes the deal even sweeter." Ric replied, grinning at the guy, as I felt Cassie move sharply, and I turned to see her running away down the hallway. I sighed before following her. After about a hundred meters, I found her, slumped down against a wall, her head in her hands, sobbing loudly.

I knelt down beside her and pulled her into my arms, as her crying continued. She pulled me close and I held her tight, hoping, preying, that Hoes over bros would pull her out of this. Because if it couldn't, I didn't know what could.

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AN: Thanks Jade for proofing! You rock. Okay, that chapter was all Maddie. But I just felt she needed one to her own, as she was the best person for the job! I won't say anything, only, don't throw those sharp objects at me please, I didn't mean any harm! And read on, there's another chapter waiting :)


	14. Chapter 14: There's No Such Thing

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Enjoy!

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Fourteen: There's no such thing_

"_Somewhere after midnight  
__In my wildest fantasy  
__Somewhere just beyond my reach  
__There's someone reaching back for me  
__Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat  
__It's gunna take a superman to sweep me off my feet"  
__- Holding Out For A Hero, Bonnie Tyler_

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"Ric, that's amazing." Parker said to me as James walked away. I was grinning, and nothing could wipe that grin off my face. My dream job had practically landed in my lap, and I had ages to make up my mind. Not that I would need much convincing. There was just one MAJOR thing… or person, that I needed to run it by. And while it could possibly be the hardest thing I've ever done, I knew in the end Cassie would want me to be all that I can be. And we'd work around it. We'd work through it, because we were past throwing our relationship away because of a few minor issues. We trusted one another. We could work this out.

"We should celebrate." Luke said to me, which snapped me out of my thoughts "We need to tell Cassie and Maddie and have a night out, with an expensive dinner and lots of dancing. It can be formal, so they can get all dressed up…" He said, before noticing the crestfallen looks on Parker and Lily's face. "Oh, you two are more than welcome to come." He said as an afterthought "Of course, there is that little problem of them claiming that you're after us…" He trailed off before apparently coming up with an idea "But if you turn up with dates, then they won't feel threatened by you, and they'll give you a good chance." He said, obviously happy with himself.

Parker looked towards Lily and smiled, "Sounds like a brilliant plan. Tell you what, we'll meet you back here at eight. We can have a late dinner at this awesome place Lily and I know." She said

"Yeah, and we'll even shout you guys." Lily said, "For being some of the coolest guys we know, and of course, to celebrate Ric's job offer." She said, smiling at Luke, who grinned back at her.

"Sounds like an awesome plan to me." He said, as everyone nodded. "See you at eight. And don't forget to bring the guys." He yelled as Parker and Lily turned around to give us the thumbs up.

"Now, all we need to do is convince Maddie and Cassie everything will be fine." Luke said, turning to look at me, but stopped when he saw my worried face.

"Cassie is going to hate me for this." I said, as Luke nodded his head. "I mean, we already had the problem with her wanting to go to Sydney, and me staying in the bay. But that's a two-hour drive between us. Queensland is a whole other state. She's going to hate me."

"Cass could never hate you." He said, as we walked towards the elevator "She's too in love with you." He continued "And if you're upfront with her, she'll have some time to get used to the idea. You're strong together, you'll make it through this." He said, as we walked inside and pushed our floors button.

I nodded at him and leant back against the wall. We were that strong. Luke was right. I just had to trust in us. And I did. I just hoped she did too.

"Look dude, its going to be fine." Luke said, as the door opened and we stepped out into the hallway "We're going to tell them, and Cass is going to be ecstatic. And then we're going out to share good food and good company. Life will be good." He tried to sound like he was already convinced, but neither of us really were.

We'd ditched the girls that morning. Too afraid of what we'd say when they woke up. When Cassie had slapped Parker last night, I'd been shocked beyond words. Then when they'd attacked Lily and Parker, it had been too much to handle. After we'd put them to bed, I'd voiced my fears to Luke who'd agreed. It was like we didn't know them any more. And that scared us. So we'd gone out this morning to apologise to Parker and Lily, and to give Maddie and Cassie time to cool off. And I hoped they were very cool, because I didn't know how they'd handle it if they weren't.

"The moment of truth arrives." Luke said as we reached the door.

Swiping the card, there was a click, and the green light flashed, allowing me to slowly push the door open.

"Cassie?" I called timidly into the empty room "Maddie? You guys here?" I said, as I entered and walked into a dead living area.

There was a bang and a crash that came from my room, and suddenly Maddie appeared at the door, shutting the cautiously behind her. "Hi guys." She said, grinning nervously.

"What's going on?" Luke asked, not missing a beat.

"Well…" Maddie said "If you must know, Cassie really isn't feeling well. So she's in bed, and she's asked me to ask you two to kinda… go out and have fun tonight so she'll be able to rest."

The pit of my stomach fell.

"If she's sick, I'll take care of her. You and Luke should be out enjoying yourselves." I said, making a move towards the door before Maddie stopped me.

"You can't." She said quickly.

"Why not?" I replied, "I'm worried about Cass, and I just want to see her." I said, pleading with Maddie. Her face softened momentarily, before it became like stone again.

"Because… Cassie said she feels like an idiot because of last night. She just wants to be left alone so she can deal with it before seeing you. That's why she wants you two to go out and have a good night. So you'll have the night you should've had last night." She said quickly, her eyes darting between Luke and I.

"Maddie," Luke said, "We had something great planned. I really, _really_ wanted to take you out and spoil you." He said, and I thought he almost had her convinced.

"Maybe tomorrow night Luke." She replied, somewhat sadly, walking over to him and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "But for tonight, it's going to have to be hoes over bros. Sorry guys." She said, before disappearing into the door once more.

We both looked at that door for a long time, before Luke came over and said "I guess its just us and Parker and Lily, and whoever they plan on bringing."

"Funny, I don't feel like going out now." I replied, as Luke nodded.

"Me either. But we can't ditch them. That would just be cruel." He said, as I nodded.

"Come on, let's get ready and go."

Somehow, I didn't think tonight was going to go to plan at all.

-

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-

"I think they're gone." Maddie said to me finally as a door was shut quietly in the distance.

I sighed, and pulled the doona up around me further. Considering it was the middle of the summer, I sure felt cold.

"Oh honey." Maddie said, pulling me into a hug as the tears welled again "Its not the end of the world. Everything will turn out for the best, you'll see." She said, trying to reassure me, but it wasn't exactly working.

"I know you mean well Maddie, but its not the same for you. Your boyfriend hasn't been offered a job in another state." I began, when I saw her face drop.

"No, he hasn't. Mine has his first University preference in another state to me. He _wants_ to move away from me." She said, her voice quivering. "And he doesn't know how much that actually hurts." She continued, as she climbed under the covers with me. "Do either of them even know how much they are actually hurting us?"

"You know Maddie?" I said, as she looked up at me "I think, deep down, they do." I said, and I literally saw her heart break. I think I actually felt mine break too.

After a few moments of heartbreaking silence, Maddie sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You know what we need?" She said, as she stood up and walked over to the chest of drawers and rummaged through a few things.

"Season Three _Gilmore Girls_?" I asked as she shook her head, before grinning and turning to me.

"The _end_ of Season Four _Gilmore Girls._" She said happily as I smiled a little, "And then," She continued, pulling a DVD from behind her back "_The Princess Bride._" She finished. "A classic for all ages, with a giant, with sword fighting, and the best love story of all time." She grinned, as I smiled back.

"It sounds perfect." I replied, as she pulled out the DVD remote and stuck a disk into the player.

"_Luke Can See Her Face._" We said in unison as the opening credits rolled.

A while later, we sat while munching on some chips I'd found in the kitchen. Luke was dancing with Lorelai at his sisters wedding, and Maddie and I sighed together. "Do you ever think they'll get together?" I asked, as I watched them move closer together, their chemistry undeniable.

"You mean, get back together after Season Six?" Maddie asked me, as Luke walked Lorelai home.

"They're supposed to be destined." I said, "She turns to Christopher because she knows without fail, he'll let her down. But Luke, Luke was never that guy, and he became it. What if it screws up their destiny, the fact that she ran to Chris, who might not let her down this time?" I queried, as we both sat up in the bed.

"You can't fight fate kid." Maddie replied seriously. "It'll hunt you down and make sure you fulfil it no matter what." She said seriously. "That's why Luke and Lorelai will be together. Because from the first moment in this show, it was there."

"What is this 'it' you speak of?" I asked her.

"Everything that is supposed to be there in relationships. The spark, the bite, the friendly banter, and the gazes. God made them for one another. That's how I know there will never be another like Luke. And that's how I know Luke shall redeem himself during season seven, and they shall get married and have twins."

"_Those Lazy Crazy Hazy Days_" We said, smiling.

"See?" Maddie said, putting an arm around me "Fate. Its something you can't fight, so don't even bother baby."

"_What are you doing?"_ Came from the TV, which caught our attention.

"_Would you just hold still?"_

And then it happened. Luke pulled her towards him, and her hands went to his chest, and he kissed her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. Maddie and I gushed as she melted into the kiss momentarily before backing off. They held that gaze, before she stepped forward again.

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Would you just hold still?"_

"See Cass" Maddie said, "In that one moment, they confirmed everything the viewers had known for three, almost four seasons. With that one kiss. And sometimes, that's all it takes for some of us to believe in fate, or true love, for that matter."

"I think its time for _The Princess Bride_." I sighed, as Maddie smiled at me "Just so I can reiterate the fact that men in all black outfits are the epitome of hotness. And that sword fighting turns me on. And, of course, that all any guy ever has to utter to me is _'As you wish'_ and I'll melt like a puddle at their feet."

"I agree whole heartedly," Maddie said, as she skipped over to the DVD player and changed the disks.

At least for the moment, Ric was being pushed to the back of my mind.

-

-

-

"It sucks that they couldn't make it tonight." I said to Lily as we walked along the boardwalk "I was really looking forward to seeing the guys again. Seeing as we haven't really had a chance to get to know them, but they seemed really cool."

"Yeah," she replied distractedly.

"Why does it seem as if everyone is ignoring me tonight?" I cried, as Lily turned to me and laughed.

"Oh no, its not that. It just seems as if Ric is a bit down. Is he okay?" She asked, sounding truly concerned for him.

I sighed before pausing, and sitting down on a near by bench. "Ric's just in a tough place at the moment. But he'll pull through and be fine. Besides, he's got my support, and that counts for something, right?" I asked, as Lily smiled back at me.

"Yeah, it does." She agreed "And you've both always got Parker and I, you know that right?" She said, and I nodded and smiled.

"What about you Luke?" She asked abruptly, turning to face me "How are you doing? You seem to be forgotten in everything that happens."

"I'm… alright" I said finally "I'm just kind of floating right now, waiting for the Uni acceptance letters. After that, well, everything changes, doesn't it?" I asked Lily, who shuffled closer to me.

"Everything's already changed Luke." She said, taking my hand. "Everything always changes after school finishes." She said sadly, which made me feel immensely sorry for her.

"Hey" I said "Not everything changes. And sometimes change is a good thing." I pulled her into a hug and felt her relax a little. It felt good knowing that I could make someone smile these days.

"Oi" I heard Ric scream, and I looked up to see he and Parker waving us over "We found this GREAT club, you guys have got to come and check it out."

I smiled at a glowing Ric. Apparently something was agreeing with him. Maybe it was the great company, maybe it was the Jelly Shots Parker had been pouring down his throat. Either way, I was happy for him. I was actually feeling a little bit happier too. But nothing could take away from the fact that Maddie and Cassie weren't here to share it with us.

Except for maybe this.

I walked into through the door into the upstairs of the club. The light was dimmed, and the music fast. And underneath me, was a dance floor covered in what seemed to be… foam. And smelt like strawberries. I looked up, bedazzled, at Ric, who was grinning back and stripping down to just his jeans. Parker and Lily had pulled off their shirts to reveal bikini tops, and I had to wonder what exactly was going on here.

"Oh calm down sparky." Lily said, as she made her way over to me "Its just so we don't get our clothes ruined. There is no ploy to get your hot, naked body rubbing up against mine." She joked, "I'll even stay a full meter away from you. Now, come on." She said, motioning for me to strip off my top

I groaned before tearing it off and handing it to her, as she smirked, a mannerism, which was typical of Maddie. And thinking that instantly made me miss her, and wish she were here, experiencing this with us. It make me think that everything about this holiday had been ruined so far, because of misunderstanding and such, and that Ric and I shouldn't be out having fun while Maddie and Cassie were couped up in a hotel room, feeling alone… abandoned.

But, I thought, hadn't it been Maddie who declined coming out with me tonight? Hadn't it been she who insisted that Ric and I go out and have fun. I suddenly became determined to make the most of tonight. Because I wasn't just enjoying it for me, I was enjoying it for her.

"Come on." I heard, as Lily grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the bar. Ric and Parker were already sitting there, with eight jelly shots in front of them. I had never been a fan of the Jelly shots, but now seemed like an excellent time to start. Pulling one close, I raised it in the air and said, "To having fun." Before downing it.

The liquor hit my throat and sent chills down my spine, and I shook my head, trying to help the feeling pass. When I looked up I met the eyes of my companions, all showing their approval by raising their own glasses and repeating my toast.

Smiling at Lily wickedly, I grabbed her hand and pulled her down the stairs. She passed me another shot, and as soon as my body hit the cool foam I downed it, before sitting it on a bar we passed while moving towards the middle of the dance floor.

I saw that Ric and Parker had followed us, both of them swaying slightly to the music already. Or maybe it was the effects of the alcohol, I thought to myself as I began to feel the alcohol work its magic, my body relaxing into the beat, moving more freely than it would without its influence.

Tonight was about letting go of the inhibitions that had always held me back. I was doing this for her, I thought, as I moved to the music with Lily next to me. Because its always about her.

-

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-

_Nothing gave Buttercup as much pleasure as ordering Westley around._

_Farm boy. Polish my horse's saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning._

_As you wish._

_"As you wish" was all he ever said to her._

_Farm Boy. Fill these with water -- -- please._

_As you wish. _

_That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying, "As you wish," what he meant was, "I love you."_

_And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back._

_Farm Boy, fetch me that pitcher._

_As you wish._

"One Westley to go please" I said, as Cassie giggled from next to me.

"Wouldn't we all love one of those?" She marvelled, as Westley pulled Buttercup close, his coarse hand caressing her tender cheek.

_I fear I'll never see you again._

_Of course you will._

_But what if something happens to you?_

_Hear this now: I will come for you._

_But how can you be sure?_

_This is true love. You think this happens every day?_

"See Cass." I said, poking her "That's why Luke and Lorelai are destined for one another. Because he said it. Because someone said it. True love." I sighed wistfully "Everyone has it once. And Luke and Lorelai have it." I said triumphantly, as Cassie looked away.

"What about us?" She said, and it came out as barely a whisper "Do we have true love?"

I realised the fatal mistake I'd just made. I mean, with a TV show, it was easier to tell who were the chosen couples, with the exception of Dawson's Creek. With TV, it was easier to see that, despite all the hoops they had to jump through to be together, they would always end up together in the end. Because that's what was meant to happen.

"Honestly Cass?" I asked of her and she nodded. I paused the movie, so as not to miss anything. "I don't know if love even exists outside the TV screen. I mean, on there, in movies, or on shows, it always end up… perfect. But out here, in the real world… there's no dream like reality. All there is, is pain and suffering." I said gravely, as Cassie nodded.

"We came up here," She said "to have that one ultimate holiday. I'm not stupid Maddie. None of us are. We knew it was our last chance to act, to function, like a normal, average couple. Not that we ever were. But when we go back to Summer Bay, our fate will be waiting there, in orange envelopes, and it's going to tell us that we can't be together any more." She continued, taking in a shakey breath "But none of that mattered, because this holiday, so far, has told me more about us not being able to be together than what's in that envelope ever could."

"Awww no Cass, you can't think like that." I said, trying to convince her, trying to keep her optimistic, but failing miserably.

"You can't say that Maddie." She said, pulling away from me "Because you heard them. He got a job offer Tilly, a flipping job offer to live here and teach, and do, surfing. The one thing he could possibly love more than me. He's not going to pass up on the opportunity of a lifetime. He's not that dumb." She said, sighing "And I won't let him pass it up." She added, and it sounded so final, that I was afraid to ask what she meant.

But I had to. Because that's just what best friends do.

"What do you mean Cass? You're not going to do anything that we would define as drastic, are you?" I asked, swallowing the nervous lump that had formed in my throat.

"You stress too much Maddie." She replied, taking the remote off me and pressing play, essentially ending all conversation on the subject. But I would not let this go.

Towards the end of the movie, with tears in our eyes, I finally realised what she meant.

"You're going to tell him that everything is fine, that you'll try at the long distance relationship, and then end things when you claim it all became to hard." I said, sitting up and looking at Cassie.

"So what if I am?" She replied, sitting up and looking me straight in the eyes.

"Because its unfair on Ric, that's why." I cried, before slapping my hand over my mouth, realising I'd broken the cardinal rule of Hoes over Bros. I'd defended the boyfriend before the best friend.

"It's okay Maddie." Cassie said softly "I know it's unfair on him. But when has it been fair on me? When he forgot to mention the offer he got about the mechanic apprenticeship? When he ditched me to hang out with Parker? Or when he practically kissed Parker in the hallway before when she was there by his side, cheering him on about the other job offer?" She said sternly. "You said it before, it's not like in the movies. And this is just another one of those things that snaps us back into reality, out of our dream world." She said, sitting back and watching the movie.

I lay back with her, and while I watched the movie, my thoughts strayed.

Were we ever going to get that fairy tale ending we all believed we deserved? Or had movies such as _The Princess Bride_, and the various Disney movies that I'd spent my childhood mimicking, lied to us all along?

Was I just kidding myself in my relationship with Luke? Had we all been kidding ourselves, for this entire summer?

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AN: Okay seriously, no throwing of objects because I'll get hurt and not be able to finish the story. Only four more chaps to go… bites nails what's going to happen? Well, something big. We're leading up to it. Have a little faith, would you? As always, I love your reviews. And now I have to write the next chapter… I hope you enjoyed it guys!


	15. Chapter 15: Falling Apart

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Enjoy.

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Fifteen: Falling Apart_

"_This time may be the last I fear  
__unless I make it all too clear,  
__I need you so."  
__-Broken Wings, Mister Mister_

_-_

_-_

_-_

The next week passed with a blur of avoidance. Luke and Ric would surf, and Cassie and I would sunbake or shop. Of course, dinner was a group affair, which included Luke and Ric's new best buds, Parker and Lily, and the newly forgiven duo of Henry and Hilary.

We all ate in silence, a few pleasantries passed here or there, but nothing substantial. Each and every one of us knew it, but none were willing to take the plunge and say it. The cracks were beginning to show.

Cass and I never found out exactly what they'd done that night Only that they'd come back wet and smelling of strawberries. We'd both been asleep for hours, I guessed, when they'd arrived, but we'd been left to smell the strawberry scent, and feel the dampness of their jeans.

Luke and Ric had been nowhere in sight that morning, and hadn't appeared till late that afternoon, with Parker and Lily by their side. And that's where they'd stayed.

It was as if life were taunting us cruelly, dangling our relationships in front of us, and forcing us to watch as they unravelled and fell apart.

But Cass and I couldn't seem to do anything about it. Either that, or we really didn't want to.

"So" I said to Cassie, "Tonight's our last night here."

"Yeah." She replied, sounding about as enthused as I did.

"This big beach blow out, we gunna show?" I asked, blocking the sun from my eyes as I rubbed some sunscreen into my arms.

"I don't know." She replied, grabbing the sunscreen from me "What do you think?"

In all honestly, I had no idea whether I wanted to be surrounded by people celebrating the final moments of their heated summer fling. Or by people who were still enjoying their fleeting moments of freedom… or happiness… of love.

"I think that we haven't spent this entire trip working on our tans to lock ourselves up in a room for another night in a row." I said finally, smiling at her, as she grinned back.

"Amen sister." She said, knocking my knuckles.

"And," I said, pushing myself up from my stomach "if we're going to do this, we're going in style."

"What do you have in mind?" Cassie asked, sitting up and facing me.

"Well, now that you ask…" I replied, smiling evilly at her.

"Okay" Cassie said as she stared at our reflection in the mirror "This has to be you're most brilliant idea yet."

"Thank you" I quipped, smiling happily as I looked at our reflection.

So maybe textiles and design hadn't been my biggest waste of time, I thought, as I stared lovingly at our newly created articles of clothing.

The idea had hit my like a bolt of lightning, and I knew there was no other way we could possibly end the summer. Hoes over bros. Always and forever. And that's what the shirts said. Standing in matching white singlet stops, we'd made our own iron on transfers, and gone all out with our Hoes over Bros. Cassie had added a denim mini to her ensemble, and I had thrown on a pair of black hotpants.

Hot was the only possible way to describe us tonight. Although smoking could be a good adjective to throw in there too.

"Right, lets get this party started." I said, poking my tongue out at Cassie as I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the hallway. She giggled as we began to skip our way down the hallway. But we stopped in our tracks when we saw Luke and Ric standing in the doorway, with Parker and Lily on their arms.

"And here I was thinking this holiday could not get any worse." Cassie muttered under her breath as I burst into fits of laughter. Parker and Lily glared at us, while Ric and Luke exchanged a glance as they surveyed our outfits.

"Um, Hi… guys." I managed to get out between bursts of laughter, as Cassie collapsed on my shoulder, laughing as hard as I was. They continued to stare at us as we lost it right there in front of them, but eventually we managed to calm ourselves down.

"Going out?" I asked, controlling the laughter that threatened to spill again.

"I think they've lost it." Parker whispered to Lily, as they both looked towards the boys.

I rolled my eyes at Cass who began to giggle again. We didn't care any more. We honestly didn't care. At least, that's what we kept telling ourselves.

-

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-

I looked at Luke again, as Maddie and Cassie threatened to spill with laughter again. This was not good, not good at all. We'd tried reaching out to them over the week. Tried to include them, tried to spoil them, tried to convince them that they were the only ones for us.

But none of it had worked. They'd continued to pull slowly away from us, and become lost in their own little world. Before, when it had happened, Luke and I had always been so sure that we'd be able to pull them back to us, but this time, I really thought we'd lost our footing, and were falling, unable to help them back to us.

"We were actually going out." I said finally, as Cassie's head snapped towards me. "How about you two?" I asked, gesturing to their outfits "Were you girls planning a night out?"

"You could say that." Cassie replied coldly, having lost all of the humour she'd displayed before.

"Not planning on attending the big summer blow out by any chance?" Lily asked, in a somewhat snide manner.

"Maybe." Maddie said, glaring at her. "What's it to you if we were?"

"You'd actually show up alone to that?" Parker scoffed at them, as she and Lily rolled their eyes at one another.

Cassie and Maddie shared a look, and before turning to glare at Luke and I once more. I was suddenly seeing a side to Parker and Lily that I hadn't before. And everything was becoming crystal clear.

"We won't be alone." Maddie snapped finally, grabbing Cassie's hand and pulling her towards the door. "We'll be together. Hoe's over bros." She said, as they shot one final look our way. "Its always been that way." She quipped, as they slammed the door behind them.

"You've got to be kidding me." Parker snapped, as she practically took a hold of my hand and pulled me towards her. "Hoe's over bros. Have you ever heard anything more stupid?" She said, as she and Lily began cacking themselves in the most unattractive manner.

When Maddie and Cassie had been laughing only moments before, all I'd wanted to do was sit down and watch the smile that formed on Cassie's face remain there. When Parker and Lily laughed, I wanted to tear my hair out in annoyance. Why hadn't I noticed that before?

"Dude." Luke said, leaving Parker and Lily alone and walking over to me "You know how they can get, when they are severely annoyed like they have been over the last week. We can't just let them go out there alone."

"Oh but they're not alone. They're with one another. Hoes over bros." She said, her tone mocking.

Luke cast an odd look in their direction before turning to look at me, a desperate plea in his eyes.

"Ric, they aren't themselves. They are pretending that everything is fine, when clearly its not. Now, I've been ignoring it for the last week, because that's what Maddie wanted. But I can't ignore this any more. There are some things that just need to be said, and I need to tell her them tonight." He said, his tone definite. "And I think you need to talk to Cassie too." He said, as he glanced over at Parker and Lily, who had gone quiet at his words. "She needs to hear it all from you Ric. Otherwise she'll never believe you." He said, his eyes conveying what his words didn't.

Luke was right. Cassie needed to be told everything. Because it wouldn't be fair on us if I didn't. It wouldn't be fair on her if I didn't. There was so much I'd hidden from her, because I was too scared to hurt her… too scared to hurt me. But I couldn't go on like this, because I knew then and there that I needed her in my life to make things work. I needed to make everything right. And that would only come if I told her everything. And didn't hold anything back.

"We've got to be quick." I said to Luke, as he grinned back at me, knowing full well my decision. "Otherwise they'll be too smashed to listen to a word we have to say."

"So what's the plan?" He asked, grabbing the key to the room.

"Helloo?" An annoying voice said from behind us, and as both spun around to find Parker and Lily waiting expectantly for us to do something. "What about us, we can't go there tonight without dates."

"You thought we were going out on a date?" Luke asked, his grin becoming wider as a laugh threatened to spill.

Parker shrugged her shoulder and looked at us, as if saying, "Well, yeah!"

"Sorry girls. But we're head over heels for another two females." I said, grinning at Luke. "And we've got to go beg our asses off for forgiveness." I finished, as we ran out the door and slammed it shut behind us.

-

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The heat was overwhelming outside the Hotel. Summer had come full circle, and a mixture of heat, emotion, and feeling had all become too intoxicating. But it didn't matter. Nothing felt right any more.

"Suddenly, this doesn't seem like that much fun any more." I yelled over the music, as Maddie nodded her head thoughtfully. Her eyes had glazed over, as she'd become lost in her own little world in the last couple of minutes. I felt like doing that too. Like backtracking, like hiding away in our room until reality passed me by.

But suddenly, that reality seemed highly unlikely to happen.

I pinched Maddie's arm, and she looked up and glared at me, before looking in the direction I was pointing. Strutting directly towards us, sly, cunning, evil smiles gracing their faces were Henry and Hilary.

"They look very pleased with themselves." Maddie said, as I nodded my head, before I began to laugh.

Maddie turned to look at me, completely shocked. "Have you gone mad?" She asked, as she raised her hand to my forehead.

"No…" I giggled. "I was just thinking, all we need is a bar and a bottle of champagne and we could so re-enact the scene from _The Proposal_, when Caleb proposes to Julie…" She said, as she giggled again.

I looked at her, before I began to laugh along with her.

"Hey sis." Henry said, as he approached us, before looking at us strangely as we both continued to laugh.

"Go away." Maddie managed to get out between laughs. I was really beginning to think that we'd both lost it, but then I figured we were too past the point of caring any more. Its not like Luke or Ric cared, I thought bitterly, which eased my laughter.

"So Hil and I were just dropping by to say 'ciao' as we're off tomorrow." Henry continued, as if he didn't notice that Maddie had just told him to bugger off.

"Good one Henry." Maddie snapped at him, her laughter having faded too "Like I actually care that you're leaving. As far as I'm concerned, you can bugger off for the rest of my life for all I care. You're no brother of mine."

"That hurts." Henry said sarcastically "What happened to blood being thicker than water?"

"Tainted blood." She said, shrugging, before grabbing my hand and pushing past them.

But Henry didn't want to let go that easily. He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.

"You ruined my life Maddie. It was always 'Matilda this' and 'Matilda that' and I was always second string. I was always forgotten." He said harshly, glaring at her. "The simplest solution? Ruin your life. Last summer, I almost managed it. But I wasn't ready. This summer, I was. The best part was that I hardly had to do anything. Luke practically ruined your relationship himself. Same as Ric for he and Cassie. I just got to sit back and enjoy the show." He said, smirking at Maddie as she took a step back.

"Go to hell" She said, slapping him across the face, then turned and ran through the crowd.

He rubbed his jaw as he smiled evilly at me.

"You're a sad, pathetic loser." I said sadly, shaking my head at him before turning on my heel and chasing after Maddie. I didn't want to waste my breath on him, not when my best friend was alone in the state she was.

Looking around, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of her, I finally saw her break free from the crowd and head towards the beach. Sighing, I pushed gingerly through the large amounts of people who were oblivious to any problems they might be dealing with, and followed her. In the end, I didn't have to go very far. There, on the edge of the sand, sat her figure, huddled in a little ball.

I walked towards her, and sat down gently by her side. Tears had begun to trickle down her face, but she furiously wiped them away when she glanced at me.

"How can he do that to his own flesh and blood?" She cried finally, falling into my waiting arms.

"I don't know Tilly," I said gently "I just don't know."

-

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-

"Can you see them anywhere?" I asked Ric, as I searched the crowd for a hint of a person that could be Maddie or Cassie.

"No." He sighed, sounding a little annoyed. It was only the fourth time that minute that I'd asked him. He just didn't appear to seem as anxious to find them as I was. And I couldn't figure out why… he had just as much… if not more to lose than I did. So I did the only thing I knew how to, I confronted him.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked, pulling him roughly aside to the outskirts of the crowd.

"Hey!" He said, pulling away from me. "What the hell is going on with you?"

"Me?" I asked, "What about you? Its like you can't even be bothered to _try_ and find Cassie and Maddie. Its like you don't want to fix things with them. What happened? Upstairs you were all for ditching Parker and Lily to find them, but now? I'm starting to think you'd rather be dancing the night away with Parker in your arms… not Cassie." I said, as Ric looked at me before pushing me away and walking a little away from me.

"Its not that. Well… I don't know any more. I love Cass. She's like a part of me. Like something that I need to live. And I know how corny that sounds, but it's the truth. And that scares the hell out of me." He said, shrugging me away when I came closer to him.

I'd never seen him like this. He and Cassie, they were always the ones that were so sure. I mean, they'd survived hell with Flynn, and they'd come back from that stronger than ever. Then after last summer, they'd just fitted back into one another. As if all cracks, all flaws had faded away instantly.

Maybe I'd been wrong.

"What if I'm just living in this one reality, and I've become so comfortable that I've forgotten to feel a spark that I could be missing out on, with other girls?" He asked finally, as I looked at him questioningly.

"You mean with Parker?" I asked raising an eyebrow, as his face began to become strained.

"No… but yes. What if I missed something along the way, because I was so comfortable with Cassie?" He asked pleadingly.

"Where is all this doubt coming from?" I asked him, as he made a face at me.

"She's going off to University this year. Heading for bigger and better things. What happens if she gets there, and she realises that she's been the one in the relationship for comfort? If she finds someone… to love her more than I can? Because all I can really offer her is my love." He said, his voice finally cracking.

I looked up towards him, opening my mouth to say one thing, but then I caught sight of two unmistakeable figures huddled together on a lone stretch of beach, and another came out.

"Well, here's your chance to ask her." I said finally, pointing to Maddie and Cassie.

He looked toward them, but then looked back to the ground, as if he were unable to comprehend the enormity, the importance of the situation.

"Its now or never." I said to him seriously, as he looked up towards them.

"Now or never" He repeated, walking towards them, a grim look on his face.

We were all so preoccupied with our thoughts at that moment in time that we failed to notice the dark storm clouds forming in the distance.

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AN: Okay, there is seriously more coming. Its all finished, but I don't want to overload Jade. But I promise I won't make you wait for too long. I hope you're enjoying it. More soon!


	16. Chapter 16: Confessions from the Heart

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Home and Away or the songs used. Which by the way, are _Always _by Bon Jovi, and _November Rain _by Guns 'n' Roses. Enjoy guys.

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**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Sixteen: Confessions from the heart_

"_Here's my promise made tonight  
You can count on me for life  
That's when I love you  
When nothing you do can change my mind  
The more I learn, The more I love  
The more my heart cant get enough  
That's when I love you,  
When I love you no matter what"_

_-That's When I Love You, Aslyn_

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I sniffled a little, as Maddie hugged me tighter. Then I heard a noise behind me, and I turned to see Luke and Ric practically running towards us. Hastily I sat up from Maddie and wiped my tears away, trying to appear as calm, and normal, as possible. But failing miserably.

Maddie stood up and brushed the sand off her shorts, before standing in front of me and crossing her arms over her chest, digging her heels into the sand. She was preparing herself for the fight of her life, all to protect me, and she looked as if she'd kill to save me. That's what best friends did.

But I couldn't let her do that. She and Luke, they were closer than Ric and I were to a reconciliation. Luke, he was perfect for her, and she knew that. She had to know that, because she couldn't just throw away their relationship, everything that she had fought for last summer.

Then again, she'd probably tell me exactly the same thing if I ever considered throwing away my relationship with Ric. Although, I thought, as I stood up silently behind her, if she wasn't there, she couldn't stop me.

-

_This Romeo is bleeding_  
_But you can't see his blood  
__It's nothing but some feelings  
__That this old dog kicked up_

-

"Maddie" Luke began, but she immediately cut him off.

"No Luke. I don't want to hear it. In fact, I'm so far beyond sick of hearing your excuses. So don't start with me, because you will not win this." She snapped at him, glaring, as he looked at her, taken aback by her abrupt manner.

"Cass and I have endured so much this summer, and I for one am just sick of it. And tonight, I just wanted to have that one night that was perfect. But even that was too much to ask for!" She cried, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically.

Luke took a step towards her, but stopped when she growled at him.

I'd stayed hidden in the darkness until now, as had Ric. But I looked up, and caught his eyes, and just knew. That I needed to fix things. Somehow, I needed to make things right.

Maddie took a breath, about to erupt again, but I grabbed her arm, turned her to look at me and shook my head.

She looked at me, before smiling sadly and nodding back. She pulled me into a hug and whispered "Hoes over bros" in my ear, causing me to grin a little as I pulled away. I sighed a little as I looked anxiously towards Ric, before trudging, almost begrudgingly, towards him. He shyly smiled at me before we began to walk down the beach, leaving a nervous Maddie and Lucas behind us.

The warm air danced around me, leaving a musky smell to mix with the salt-laced haze the ocean was creating. The awkward space between Ric and I sizzled of words yet to be spoken, of tension, of unresolved problems. And of hearts yet to be broken.

-

_It's been raining since you left me  
Now I'm drowning in the flood  
You see I've always been a fighter  
But without you I give up_

-

I hugged my arms around my body and paused finally, as a loud crack of thunder erupted in the distance and my heart started to race a little faster. Ric's arms were around me in a second, pulling me into him, protecting me from the evils of the world. And for a moment I relaxed into his embrace, breathing in his scent. Remembering what it used to be like.

Remembering what could never be again.

He smiled down at me, but it was different to any other smile he'd given me. There was no warmth, no love. Only nostalgia, and the feelings of a love lost over time. A love ruined by a summer that was only supposed to strengthen it.

I pulled away from him quickly and turned to face the horizon, noticing for the first time the dark clouds that had covered the stars of the night.

Ric stood behind me for the moment. I could feel his body heat contrasting against the cool breeze that had arrived from the sea. I could feel his arms itching to worm their way around my waist, around my body. I could sense the lust on his lips. I could imagine the tears stinging his eyes.

But then I felt my own pain. The tears that had fallen from my eyes night after lonely night. The stabbing in my heart when I'd slept restlessly because he was not there next to me. And I just knew that I couldn't do that for another year. I couldn't give my life, my heart, away like that. Because, as epic as we were, I couldn't have my heart broken by him again.

-

_I can't sing a love song  
Like the way it's meant to be  
Well, I guess I'm not that good anymore  
But baby, that's just me_

-

She turned to look at me, her face pinched, trying to hold back the tears that were beginning to fall. I stepped forward towards her, but she moved back away from me and shook her head.

Gulping in deep breaths of air, she opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a strangled cry, as her hands went to her face, covering it, as her body became wracked with sobs.

"Cass." I said, pulling her towards me. "Come here." My arms wrapped tightly around her, and although she resisted at first, she eventually gave in, and wrapped her arms around my neck, sobbing into my neck as I rubbed her back gently. Thunder sounded around us, as flashes of lightning lit up the world for single moments at a time. Cassie let out one final sob before pushing herself away from me and shaking her head again.

"No Ric." She murmured "No. We can't do this. I can't do this. Not any more."

I looked at her tear stained face, and noticed for the first time how exhausted, how tired, and how sad she really looked.

"Cass," I began, but she held up her hand to stop me.

"It's not that simple Ric. I'm not just going to fall back into your arms. I'm not just going to believe everything will be okay this time." She whispered, her voice barely audible over the thunder that continued to rumble.

"Why not?" I pleaded with her finally. "I love you Cass." I said, taking her hand. "And I know I always will."

-

_And I will love you, baby - Always  
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always  
I'll be there till the stars don't shine  
Till the heavens burst and  
The words don't rhyme  
And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind  
And I'll love you - Always_

-

She smiled a little, as she looked past me. "It's not about the love. It never has been." She sighed sadly, the tears beginning to flow again. "It's about you and me, as separate people. Its about people like Parker," She said, a little harshly, and a stab of guilt went through my stomach. "And its about University, and the job offer." She cried. "It's about us believing for so long that we're meant to be together, when the _entire_ world is telling us that we should be apart." She said finally.

With one loud crack of thunder, the heavens opened, and the downpour began. And with one simple sentence, my heart smashed into a million pieces.

The rain mingled with her salty tears, and I couldn't tell whether it were the tears that were pouring down her face, or whether she was standing there coldly, showing no emotion any more.

"Parker was…," I said, but she laughed bitterly.

"Parker could have been anyone. She was just a simple pawn in fates plan to show us that we're not meant to be Ric."

"But we are Cass" I yelled finally, having had enough of her belief that some… thing was purposely trying to ruin us. I took her hands and linked my fingers through her own. I pulled her towards me, and brought her hands up to my lips, kissing them gently.

"We're meant to be Cass." I said gently, as she looked searchingly into my eyes. "I knew it from the moment you came whirling into my life. I knew it the first time you smiled at me, the first time I heard you laugh. The first time I saw you cry, and the first time I held you in my arms." I continued softly.

"And maybe before that freaked the hell out of me. And maybe it still does freak me out a little. But I'm not going to let you walk out on this. On us, just because you think we won't work. I'm not willing to give up on us." I said, taking one hand and caressing her cheek gently. "Are you?" I asked finally, and she looked up deeply into my eyes.

-

_Now your pictures that you left behind  
Are just memories of a different life  
Some that made us laugh, some that made us cry  
One that made you have to say goodbye_

-

After what felt like hours, she finally nodded her head and pulled away from my arms once more.

"You've had this amazing job offer Ric. And you've found this amazing place that feels like home to you. You don't know it, but I've watched you. I've seen how happy you've been here despite _everything _that's happened in the last two weeks. It was like you'd found your new home. And I don't want to take you away from that." She sighed.

"I'd give it up for you." I said, "In a second, if it meant we could be together. I just want to be with you." I said firmly.

"But that's just it." She replied, "I don't want you to do that."

"Why not?" I asked, now worried that she was more than serious.

"Because Ric. It's your dream. I don't want to be responsible for making you throw away your dream." She said sadly.

"But you're part of that dream" I said pleadingly.

"For now." She said cynically. "But what happens if, in a month, or a year, we figure out we're not right any more? You'll have thrown it all away. For nothing."

"Not for nothing." I whispered.

"I won't let you do that."

-

_What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair  
To touch your lips, to hold you near  
When you say your prayers try to understand  
I've made mistakes, I'm just a man_

-

Her voice, her tone, those words, they all sounded to final. It was like someone had stuck a knife into my heart, and was slowly, cruelly twisting it, prolonging the pain until I surrendered. But I was not willing to go down in this fight. It had all become so clear to me, even if only minutes before I'd been completely willing to throw this away. Not any more.

It was becoming evident that words were not enough to convince Cass that we needed this as much as one another. What I needed was a way that could show her how much I needed her. How much I really loved her. And how much I knew that, no matter what, she'd only ever be the one for me.

She was looking at me sadly, as if she believed she'd finally done what she'd set out to do. Her hair was matted to her head, her shirt clinging to her body tightly. Her eyes were red, bloodshot, from the thousands of tears she'd cried, and her face looked worn, ready to share the wisdom she'd learned before her time.

I reached out for her, and pulled her into me, smashing my lips against her own, kissing her with everything I had.

-

_When he holds you close, when he pulls you near  
When he says the words you've been needing to hear  
I'll wish I was him 'cause those words are mine  
To say to you till the end of time_

-

She melted into my embrace, her tongue seeking immediate entrance into my mouth. My hands ran up and down her back, through her damp hair, as the rain beat down on us. Her hands were on my chest then around my neck, and we became lost in our own little world where nothing but the friction between our bodies mattered.

We were creating our own heat, our own passion, and the rain, the wind, none of it mattered.

And that's how I always imagined it would be. That the world would fade away as soon as I saw her. As soon as my skin touched her own, as soon as my lips were against hers. That no matter what, my kisses would always dry her tears. My hands would always heal her wounds. And that I would never, ever, break her heart.

That was what I dreamed.

-

_If you told me to cry for you  
I could  
If you told me to die for you  
I would  
Take a look at my face  
There's no price I won't pay  
To say these words to you_

-

His arms felt so right… wrapped tightly around my waist. It was as if he never wanted to let go of me. But I knew that could never happen. I knew that I'd gone there, and come back, and I didn't want to go back there again. Back to that dark place, where fear, uncertainty, and sadness ruled my life.

Somehow, some way, I'd found my way back to a place where there was this little ray of light. Maddie and I, we'd managed to get through some how. And despite everything this kiss… everything he managed to make me feel with… with one simple look, with one simple touch… despite all of that, I still knew that I'd made the right decision.

Even though my heart was slowly breaking, and I felt as though I could be sick… I knew I could not hold him back from everything he'd ever dreamed about.

Because of two simple words. What if.

I'd realised some time ago, that some things are fated, and some are not. And obviously, no matter how much I loved him; no matter how much I wished we'd have that once upon a time, and the happily ever after, I knew that he wasn't my Prince Charming.

-

_Well, there ain't no luck  
In these loaded dice  
But baby if you give me just one more try  
We can pack up our old dreams  
And our old lives  
We'll find a place where the sun still shines_

-

I pushed myself away from him and fell to the wet ground. The rain fell harder, as my tears began to spill once more. I was so sick of these tears. And I just didn't want them any more.

"I can't do this." I cried, more to myself than a shell-shocked Ric who stood meters away, breathing heavily still from the intensity of our kiss.

"We can't do this. I won't have my heart broken every time you forget to call, every time you don't reply to an email. Every time you make another girl friend who understands you more than I ever could." I screamed over the rain.

"But Cassie" Ric tried, but I'd heard it enough already.

"NO!" I screamed. "NOT ANY MORE!"

He looked at me, as the tears began to form in his own eyes. I watched as, right in front of my eyes, I shattered his heart.

"Not any more." I repeated, curling into a ball as I cried.

Alone in the rain.

-

_And I will love you, baby - Always  
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always  
I'll be there till the stars don't shine  
Till the heavens burst and  
The words don't rhyme  
And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind  
And I'll love you - Always_

-

I watched as Cassie and Ric walked off into the distance, before turning to Luke, continuing to glare at him. He smiled apologetically at me, as if that was going to calm me down. As if that was going to fix things.

But he didn't deserve my sympathy, or my forgiveness. Everything that he'd done, he'd done it himself.

Sober.

How does one forgive the supposed 'love of their life' when they can so easily be swayed by other females? How could I even venture to forgive him after he'd ditched me for this entire trip for a tart with a surfboard?

The answer was simple. It could not be done. Fuming silently, I spun on me heels and began to walk quickly away before I heard my name being called. Gently at first, but as I continued to storm off, it became louder, until his hand was on my arm, and he physically pulled me towards him.

"What Luke?" I snapped at him angrily. "What can you possibly say that will fix this?" I cried, looking into his eyes, ignoring that pathetic pleading expression that had been plastered over his face from the moment he and Ric had arrived.

"How about 'I love you'? He asked, shrugging his shoulders as his eyes searched for something within my own soul.

-

_When I look into your eyes  
I can see a love restrained  
But darlin' when I hold you  
Don't you know I feel the same_

-

His hands reached out towards my own, but I moved away from him, and sunk down into the sand, as a loud crack of thunder was heard over head. Looking behind me, I saw the dark storm clouds approaching quickly, and I groaned, realising that I was about to be caught in two vastly different storms. And I wasn't looking forward to either of them.

"Maddie." Luke said, sitting down a little bit away from me. "I love you with my heart and soul." He said, his tone brutally honest. "And I'm sorry." He said, his voice cracking. "About everything. About Lily and Parker, about Ric and I and how we behaved. About Henry. About how I've ruined this summer for you. And especially about not talking to you about the University course I wanted to do." He said, pausing for a moment to see if I would storm off.

Honestly, I didn't have the energy any more. I didn't want to walk away from this. I knew that, despite the last two weeks, Luke at least deserved to be heard out. Even if I walked out at the end, I would hear him out.

"Go on." I whispered, afraid that if I tried to speak any louder my true feelings would be revealed through the tone in my voice. I just needed to listen now. My time for talking would come later.

-

_'Cause nothin' lasts forever  
And we both know hearts can change  
And it's hard to hold a candle  
In the cold November rain_

-

"Where do I even begin?" He sighed.

"How about why you are so desperate to get away from me this year?" I said, more bitterly than I intended to.

His eyes met mine, and he shook his head knowingly.

"How can you even begin to think that?" He asked, "How can you believe for a second that I'd rather be there than with you, wherever you may be."

"Gee, I don't know, maybe the fact that you applied for the course as your first preference when you know we only get offered our first preference to begin with!" I replied sarcastically, as he looked down, ashamed. A twinge of guilt passed through me, and only worsened when Luke finally began to speak.

"When I found that course, I don't know. Something just clicked." He said finally. "I never really had a direction in school. Not until I flipped through the guide and found that one course. There was a moment and I just knew that no matter what happened, I had to get into that course, because it would be the most amazing thing ever." He said, sighing. "But then I realised it was in Canberra, and to begin with, I never imagined that I… that we could handle it."

I looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. Because I had an inkling of what was coming next. And I didn't think I'd like it one bit.

"But the longer I thought about it, the more I realised that you and I, we were, and still are, strong enough to handle it. Because deep down I knew that I'd always end up with you, because we're meant to be Tilly." He said, talking my hand and pulling me through the sand towards him.

"I always thought we could handle anything. Because we were that strong." He said, his hand tilting my head up towards his eyes.

-

_We've been through this such a long long time  
Just tryin' to kill the pain  
But lovers always come and lovers always go  
An no one's really sure who's lettin' go today_

-

She looked sadly away, but her head eased itself into my hand.

"What if we're not Luke?" She whispered finally.

I felt my heart jump to my throat, and momentarily I stopped breathing. How could she even think that? How could she think that we weren't meant to end up together?

"Maddie, Tilly…" I began, but she looked towards me and shook her head.

"No Luke." She said firmly "I love you with everything I have. But if these two weeks are anything to go by, within two days of that distance, we'd be falling apart. We can't survive that. I'm beginning to think we never could." She said sadly, pulling away from me and hugging her body tightly.

A momentary flash of lightning lit up the sky, and I saw her quickly wipe away a tear that had fallen from her eye. In that moment, our lives flashed in front of my eyes, and I found myself pulling her towards me, into my arms, despite the fact that she struggled against my grip.

"Do you feel that?" I whispered in her ear as she shivered. "I know you do Maddie, because I feel it too. Every time we touch, there's that spark that passes through my body. Its like we're connected, like what we have is beyond physical."

She nodded against my chest, and shivered again as my breath fell lightly on her bare skin.

"And that shiver. Maddie I know no one else could ever do that to you." I said, as her hand reached towards my own, causing goose bumps to appear on my arm where she'd brushed my skin.

"And no one can give me goose bumps like that Tilly." I said, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her into a standing position.

"No one makes me feel the way you do." I said, smiling down at her. "No one could ever love me like you do either. It will always be you Maddie; you know that, right? You'll always be mine." I pleaded with her.

-

_Walking away  
If we could take the time to lay it on the line  
I could rest my head  
Just knowin' that you were mine  
All mine_

-

"But…" She began, but I cut her off. I didn't want her to try to argue any more.

"No, I don't want to hear it. We've been through so much, and I know its possibly the most daunting thing you've ever faced, University, growing up, leaving everything behind, but I'm here for you, and I love you, and together we're going to survive this. We're only going to get stronger."

I was on a roll now, and nothing could stop me. Not until she believed like I did. Not until she saw the truth.

"You're perfect for me." I said gently, taking her hands in mine and wrapping them around my neck. "We just fit. And you can't fight that, can you?" I asked, as she shook her head, tears forming in her eyes.

"Shhh." I said, rubbing away the tear that rolled down her cheek with the pad of my thumb. "There's no reason to cry. I don't want to make you cry ever again."

"I can't help it." She finally spoke. "I wish I had you're faith." She said, her voice strangled, fighting against the winds that had picked up.

"You give me this faith." I replied leaning down to kiss her as the rain began to fall around us. "You make me believe." I said, capturing her lips with my own.

-

_So if you want to love me  
then darlin' don't refrain  
Or I'll just end up walkin'  
In the cold November rain_

-

She kissed me cautiously at first, as if she'd forgotten the feel of my lips against her own. Her body moved against my own, slowly, excruciatingly, closing the gap that remained between us. It was like our first kiss, our first feeling, and our first moment of love. It was we'd gone back to the beginning, and neither of us knew where we really stood with one another.

Like the bonds of love had unraveled and now we were slowly piecing them all back together again.

Like last summer.

We'd all tried so hard to put the past behind us. To trust one another to no ends. To have that undeniable faith that would always push us back towards one another. And having her in my arms, I could feel that she was still terrified of a repeat. That one day she'd wake up and I'd not be there any more.

I could sense her confusion, her fear, her sadness. Because I knew her, and I knew that I'd made her go through hell and back these last few days. No matter what, I never wanted to do that to her again. Because it had planted the seeds of doubt in her mind, and I never wanted her to doubt my love.

Because I never doubted hers. It was the one constant in my life that had become the focus for me to survive. I had to live for her, because she was my everything. She was my all.

I never told her that enough either.

-

_Do you need some time...on your own  
Do you need some time...all alone  
Everybody needs some time...on their own  
Don't you know you need some time...all alone_

-

Her body had moved against my own, moulding into it, causing friction and sparks and feelings unlike anything I could remember. But something I knew I could never live without. Gently, I pulled myself away from her and pushed her hair out of her eyes.

"You know I want to marry you one day." I said, as she giggled a little, but still looked unsure of herself. "I'm not going to do it now, because I'd have you running for the hills in seconds, but one day, I'm going to get down on one knee and tell you that I'll love you for all eternity, and that I want to share my life with you." I said, as she began to smile.

"And then we're going to have two beautiful children, and live in a pretty little house in the country side, and you're going to write that story that you've always dreamt about writing, and I'm going to worship the ground you walk on. And we're going to have our very own _Happily Ever After._" I said, taking her hand and putting it against my chest.

"Because this heart beats for you, and only you." I said seriously, as tears began to well in her eyes once more.

"Oh Luke." She said, wiping away the tears hastily. "Do you really believe that?" She asked, taking a step back away from me, as the rain began to haze her figure.

"Yeah." I said, reaching out for her. "Yeah I do."

-

_I know it's hard to keep an open heart  
When even friends seem out to harm you  
But if you could heal a broken heart  
Wouldn't time be out to charm you_

-

She smiled oddly at me, before moving back a little.

"Maddie." I called out to her "What's wrong?"

"What happens if it doesn't end up like that?" She called through the rain. "I don't want to live with a broken heart."

"I'll never break your heart." I promised to her, but still she didn't come closer.

"You can't promise me forever Luke. What happens if it's not?" She cried, and I could see her hands go towards her eyes, wiping away the tears once more.

"What's wrong with forever Maddie? Its not a dream, not for me!" I replied firmly, but she shook her head.

"You don't know that. We might not be right for one another. We might just be living in this convenient relationship that's been defined because of …" She paused there, searching for the right words. "Because we didn't know any better."

"Don't do this Tilly." I pleaded with her. "Don't throw us away."

"I'm not Luke." She cried. "But what if?" She yelled. "What if one day, there's someone else. I can't live like that. I can't live a lie!"

"We're not!" I cried, reaching out for her and pulling her to me again. "We won't be." I said softly, as she grabbed at my shirt and pulled herself further towards me, crying into my chest.

-

_Sometimes I need some time...on my  
own Sometimes I need some time...all alone  
Everybody needs some time...on their own  
Don't you know you need some time...all alone_

-

I pulled against Luke's shirt and willed for all the pain to flow out of my body with these tears that I continued to cry. Nothing felt right any more. I willed myself to react to his hands on my skin, to his strong, protective embrace, but I couldn't figure out what I felt any more.

Everything just felt so wrong.

Yet I stayed in his arms, for comfort, for love. I didn't know any more. All I knew was that I was too scared to be alone. And too tired of feeling like I had felt for the last week. The ultimate fear of us not being destined, it had always been fresh in my mind, but when Luke had kissed me, it had disappeared momentarily.

Because somewhere hidden in that kiss, there has been hope. And trust. And the love that I knew Luke would always have for me. And for a moment I was home.

Then it had all faded away.

-

_And when your fears subside  
And shadows still remain, ohhh yeahhh  
I know that you can love me  
When there's no one left to blame_

-

"Luke." I sniffed, as the rain pelted down against my back. "I don't know if we can do this." I said honestly, as he pulled away to face me.

"Maddie, I'm so truly sorry for this summer. I ruined everything, and I've wished more than a million times tonight that if I could, I'd take it back and make everything right. But I can't, so all I have is this apology, which I'm giving to you with all my love, with all my heart and soul. I need you to be there for me, by my side. No matter where I am, no matter what I'm doing. I'll need you there for me." He said, his hand gently caressing my face.

"You'll always be my life." He said "And I need you to know that. And I need you to believe that. Because I love you." He said, as I nodded, looking up into his blue eyes.

"I love you too Luke." I said, leaning up slowly and timidly pressing my lips against his own.

-

_So never mind the darkness  
We still can find a way  
'Cause nothin' lasts forever  
Even cold November rain_

-

And somehow, I managed to pull myself out of the darkness and I suddenly found myself somewhere else. Floating between belief and hate. Floating between one life and the next. I found myself pretending that I felt these things, pretending that I believed these things.

And in this pretend world, things were clearer. Things were safer. My heart came package wrapped in bubble wrap to protect it from the inevitable moment when it would get smashed accidentally on the floor.

When I broke apart from Luke and the kiss that embodied all of the lies, all of the secrets, all of the darkness I'd have to hide from Luke, I looked up to find that the rain had stopped, and the sky was clearing once more.

It had become a new day.

-

_Don't ya think that you need somebody  
Don't ya think that you need someone  
Everybody needs somebody  
You're not the only one_

-

AN: Jess hides from angry reviewers... Don't throw sharp objects. I bleed. This chapter was hard to write, but I like how it turned out in the end. There are still more chapters, plenty of time tomakethings right. Also, thanks to Jade, my completely awesome beta who has been wonderful throughout the entire story!


	17. Chapter 17: So Long Summer

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. As usual. 

-

-

-

**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Seventeen: So Long Summer_

"_The summer sends its love to you,  
the same as every year.  
But this year I will send mine too,  
and wish that you were here."_

_-The Summer Sends Its Love by Sherwood_

-

-

-

"I'm going with Cassie." I said to Luke the next morning as I shut my suitcase tight.

"You sure?" He asked, taking it from underneath my hands and carrying it towards the door. Sighing, I shook my head and fell back down onto the bed.

"When you say that, you really mean to ask if you think I'm better off shoving she and Ric in a car together for the entire drive home in the hopes that they'll sort out their differences, and we can end this summer how it should?" I asked, and Luke grinned a little at my bluntness, nodding his head.

"While I think that would be the simplest way of fixing things between them," I said to him. "I'm not that mean. Cassie would hate me forever if I did that to her, and what kind of a best friend would that make me?" I asked, as Luke moved from the doorway to next to me.

"One that knows her best friend is throwing away her perfect relationship." He supplied, as I shook my head.

"Its not that simple for Cass. It never was." I said, mostly to myself, and Luke cast an odd glance in my direction.

"I'll just say that Cass and I had some major bonding time during this holiday." I added for him, which caused him to look down sadly.

"I'm sorry for ruining it for you two." He said, for what felt like the millionth time since the night before.

"How many times do I have to tell you, stop apologising!" I said, hitting him lightly. "You've said it enough, it's really losing any meaning it ever had now." I said, grinning at him as he grinned back goofily at me.

It was becoming easier now. And less awkward. Of course, I'd spent the night in a room with Cassie, up to my ears in tissues as I comforted her till the early hours of the morning, when she'd finally fallen asleep out of sheer exhaustion. But this morning, Luke and I had talked. Really talked. And it was becoming easier. The lying was becoming easier.

A knock at the door broke me out of my thoughts, and I looked up to find a tired Ric pop his head in.

"You about ready to pack the car?" He asked Luke, avoiding eye contact in all possible cases.

"Yeah." Luke replied, standing up and kissing my head, while Ric looked away guiltily. "I'll just grab Cassie's stuff and we'll pack the cars." Luke continued, flashing Ric a sympathetic look before giving me one final kiss.

"Sounds good." Ric replied uncaringly, "I've just got to take care of one thing."

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to it." I said, watching as Luke and Ric shuffled out of the room. I closed my eyes and counted to ten, before standing up and walking towards Cassie's room… the one that held a shattered girl.

I knocked lightly on the door, and heard a small "Come in." from inside. Slowly I opened the door and upon entering, found Cassie sitting in the middle of the floor, just staring out the sliding door that opened out towards the balcony.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She asked, as I came to seat myself beside her. "The sky after a storm. I can't think of anything more beautiful." She said, her voice cracking. "Its like a world of swirling emotions, where joy and hope befriend fear and sadness. Everything always makes sense after a storm. Everything always fits." She said, closing her eyes and breathing in. "And that smell…" She said "Its indescribable. But so passionate, so beautiful. So unique."

I looked towards her and saw her features set in a indifferent expression that would be unreadable to the untrained eye.

But to me, I saw the broken girl who was pretending to be happy in her own little world. A girl who had to be content with the decisions she'd made because she could not go back. Because it would hurt too much to go back.

"Do you want to talk…" I began, but she cut me off quickly.

"No." She said firmly, opening her eyes and collecting herself from the ground.

"Okay, but if you ever…" I said again, but she looked at me and I knew she didn't need that now.

"I know Maddie. But I don't want to talk about it." She said, wiping away the solitary tear that rolled down her cheek. "I just want to forget any of it ever happened." She said bluntly, walking out the door.

Didn't we all?

-

-

-

"You sure you want to do this?" Luke asked me again, as I nodded my head once more.

"Cassie made it quite clear she doesn't want to be with me. Because of this. So now there's nothing left for me in Summer Bay. And this is my dream. I'd be an idiot to give it up in the hopes of a feeble attempt at winning Cassie back." I replied sadly.

"But you haven't even tried." Luke said, but I didn't want to hear it.

"She doesn't want me to try Luke." I sighed, sitting down in a chair. "She doesn't want me to do anything except take this job and remove myself, and any trace of me, from her life. That's it. And I can't fight with her. I'm too tired to do that any more. I can't win." I said, as he clipped my arm.

"Well, you know I'm here for you, if you ever want to talk." He said, "And well, it's going to suck not having you around this year. We'll be at opposite ends of the country… we probably won't even speak to one another any more." Luke added in a melancholic tone.

"Don't say that. Who do you think I'll be calling up whenever I get myself into trouble with a girl?"

"That would be me, seeing as I'm the best sweet talker there is." Luke replied, grinning at me as I grinned back at him.

"We'll always be mates Luke. Even when you're a hot shot accountant, and I'm a pro surfer, we'll be mates. You can count on that." I said, holding my hand out to him.

He shook it, before pulling me into a half hug. He pulled back and laughed a little at me. "Pro surfer? Aren't you're ambitions a little on the high side there?"

"Nothings too high for this kid." James said as he came out from his office.

"James, Hi." I said, shooting up from his seat and holding my hand out to James, who shook it willingly.

"I'm assuming you're here in regards to the offer. Please tell me I won't have to look any further to find myself a great instructor?" He asked, and I smiled at him.

"I hope not, seeing as I'm driving back home only to pack, then come back up here. Permanently." I replied, as the first real smile I'd felt all morning began to form on my face.

"I'm glad." James replied, shaking my hand again. "So we'll expect you back by the end of the week?" He asked me, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I just have to pack and then drive back up here." I told James, "And that should only take me four days, max." I continued "I plan to be back here and hitting the waves by next Saturday."

"Enthusiasm, I like it. I have a feeling this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship." James said, nodding to me one final time before walking down the hallway.

"See you next Saturday." He called out over his shoulder, as I continued to grin.

"How does it feel?" Luke asked me, as we began to walk out of the hotel.

"Like I've just sold my life away… but like a million bucks too." I replied, my smile fading slowly. "None of it really feels real any more." I continued, before pausing and turning to face him. "You know, last summer I really though it was the end of Cass and I. But then, everything seemed to fix itself. Am I a fool for believing, until last night, that this summer would be the same?" I asked Luke, as he shook his head.

"No, it's not stupid at all. Although we did our fair share of stupid things, that's not one of them." He said.

"I just believed that she'd be happy for me." I said, "And that we'd make it through this. I always though we could take on the world. I guess I was wrong." I said, shaking my head and walking towards the car.

"She might just need time to cool off." Luke said, jogging to catch up with me. "She might just need some convincing. Or she might get to Summer Bay and realise that she's made this huge mistake and she'll take it all back. Anything could happen between now and when we get home." He said.

Luke was always the optimist. But he could afford to be. Maddie had forgiven him. And even though they were talking baby steps, they were still sorting things out. I'd be lucky if Cassie ever spoke to me again.

"Just believe, that's all I'm saying." Luke reiterated. And I smiled at him.

Believe? In what? I wasn't too sure what I believed in any more.

-

-

-

Pulling open the car door, I noted that the girls car was still sitting there, untouched, which meant that they had yet to leave. I turned to Ric, who was climbing into the drivers side.

"I'm just going to check in with Maddie." I said, as he nodded.

Pulling out my phone, I hit two on the speed dial and waited for three rings before she picked up.

"You bout ready to leave?" I asked, as she giggled into the phone.

"Almost, we're just doing one more thing." She said, giggling again.

"And what would that be?" I asked.

"Retail therapy." She replied.

I could imagine her shrugging at that time, because it should have been entirely obvious that they'd chosen to shop once more before leaving. Of course, the inner workings of a females mind were far too confusing for any male to figure out. I still never understood why females didn't get that.

"Okay." I said "Have fun, and check in with me later."

"Yep. Love you." She said.

"Love you too." I replied, flipping the phone shut as I walked back to the car and climbed in.

"They're shopping." I replied to the questioning look Ric had shot me.

"Figures." He muttered.

"That's what I thought." I said, as we laughed together. As I tried to become comfortable, I realised I was sitting on something. Moving up a little, I pulled the boys book of wisdom from underneath me.

"Fat lot of good that did us." Ric grunted, as I smirked at him.

"Maybe it's got some wisdom for us now though." I replied, closing my eyes and flipping it open to a page and reading aloud.

_So you're in the bad books? And you've done everything you can possibly think of to get back into their good books, and nothing has worked. Not the flowers, nor the chocolate, nor the pulling out of Third Season Gilmore Girls when Jess looks it up?_

_Here's our advice. Let them stew. Leave them to it. And everything will fix itself. Remember guys, for better or worse. And if its for worse, well, just remember that they can't possibly exist without your friendship at least. So how about a peace offering that says 'I know we can't work this out, but we'll always be friends.'_

_Think of something they'd love, and send it that way. We know you can do it. And remember, it's the friendship that counts the most. Not the rest. The promise that you'll always be there to support them, as a friend, as a boyfriend, as an overprotective brother. Just that you'll be there for them._

Ric groaned, and bashed his head against the steering wheel. "Why must they always be right?" He asked, as I grinned at him.

"Just part of their charm." I replied, laughing as he turned the engine over. "Come on, I think we also have one last stop to make before we leave this heaven in hell." I said, as Ric turned to look at me. "The peace offering?" I asked, as he shook his head.

"No way. She hates me. We've been through this." He said, but I refused to believe it.

"Just let her know that you're there for her, no matter what." I continued, an idea creating itself quickly in my mind. "She needs to know that, otherwise you'll never ever be friends. And you do still want her friendship, right?" I asked, and Ric nodded in reply. "So come on, lets go and attempt to fix this."

"And how would you do that, oh suddenly wise one?" Ric asked, as he pulled the car out of the parking space and began to maneuver it out of the car park.

"Well, a small gift. That means more than it costs." I replied, thinking hard. "Something that shows that you know her more than she thinks. Something that shows her that despite everything she believes, she's still one of the most important people in your life. Something that says 'I'm here for you no matter what.' Any ideas?" I asked him, as his eyes lit up as we drove slowly past a store.

"I think that maybe, I might just possibly, have one for both of us." He replied, slowly parking the car and turning off the engine.

"But I don't need to suck up." I said.

"Yet. Remember, you move to Canberra, and Maddie will have some doubts. This way, you can cut them off before they come." Ric replied, jumping out of the car and motioning for me to follow.

This better be good, I thought to myself as I unbuckled my seatbelt and followed him quickly.

-

-

-

I stared out of the window, watching the landscape fly by at a quick pace. For a moment there, I'd believe that I could be saved. While shopping with Maddie, everything appeared to have gone back to normal. I'd even been smiling. But as soon as I'd returned to the car, that at one stage, I'd sat in with Ric, I'd laughed and smiled, and generally been happy in… with him… everything had just gone out the window. And suddenly I just wanted to be alone in that storm once more.

Because at least then I'd managed to feel alive. At least then he hadn't haunted me, every time I closed my eyes, every time I thought of something, it was him. Always him.

Apparently Maddie had become bored of the silence, because I felt an object land gently in my lap, and looked to find one of the mixed CDs that had been prepared for us sitting there. I looked towards Maddie questioningly, but she only smiled and asked "What?" innocently. "I thought the car could do with a little cheer, instead of all the doom and gloom." she continued, as I poked my tongue out at her.

"Oh deal with it drama queen. Best friend trying to fix things here. I know you hate me now, but sooner or later you won't. So tell me Cass, what soundtrack are we traveling home to?" She cried, and I couldn't help but respond.

"That would be the 'Too tired to care' soundtrack, including classics such as…" I said, as the melodic sounds of _Ruby Tuesday _by The Rolling Stones filled the car. "And other such soothing classics that will make you're journey just that little bit easier." She glared a little at me, obviously catching the not so subtle sarcastic tone I'd thrown out there.

"I can live with that." She sighed, turning up the music as I tossed the CD case down onto the floor and resumed my position of staring blankly out the window. I heard her sigh, and could practically hear the thoughts ticking over in her head.

"God Cassie, either suck up your decision or take it back."

Okay, so maybe it wouldn't have been that harsh, but that's what I would have been thinking about Maddie had she been in my position. Then again, I wouldn't have sat up for half the night with her, nor would I have driven her back home. I would have locked her in a room with Lucas until they either killed one another or made up.

Considering everything, I suddenly realised that Maddie was a much better friend that I had ever been. And that she was only trying to make me feel the tiniest bit better. She'd been my rock throughout this entire summer. Always there for me, always reminding me of Hoes over Bros. And now look at me, I was being a complete witch to her. Like I would have been had she been in my position this summer.

"Maddie" I said finally "I'm sorry. I know I've not been the best kind of company these few days, and you've been so good to me. I just think you should drop me off here and make me walk the rest of the way home because of how I've been behaving."

She laughed as she glanced in my direction.

"That's possibly the smartest thing you've said recently." She said, as she grinned, watching the road infront of her. "And you know why I've been doing it Cass, and putting up with your crap. Because we're best friends Cass. Hoes over bros remember? Like I'd ditch you." She said, smiling broadly at me for a second.

"And you know I'm like, forever in debt to you because of it." I replied, as she laughed again.

"Glad you realised, because, as you know, we'll probably be living together this year, and you know, I have a bigger wardrobe than you, so I'll be claiming the bigger room, as of lets say, now."

"Oh whatever you reckon, I am not that in debited to you!" I cried, as she laughed harder.

"Yes!" Came the instant reply, and we both began to laugh.

It was like something had been lifted from my mind. Like the pain had been dulled for now… at least. The storm had cleared, and there was even a hint of a rainbow in the distance.

Now all I had to do was survive opening the newspaper and searching for my initials and that one course that could determine the new course of my life… one without Ric.

-

-

-

AN: One more to go. Thanks to Jade for proofing! I hope you don't hate me a lot. I will give you permission to hate me a little though.


	18. Chapter 18: A setting sun, a new day

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Except a wall to hide behind. 

-

**That Endless Summer**

_Chapter Eighteen: A setting sun, a new day._

"_The sun sets tomorrow but I won't be there.  
I'll let you know, before I go, without you.  
The sun sets tomorrow but I won't be there.  
I don't know what happened, too much has changed"_

_-Parting Ways by Slick Shoes_

-

"Maddie, Luke." Mum called from the front of the house "It's here."

Sucking in a deep breath, I felt Luke take my hand and give it a squeeze as we walked into the front room together. We'd been home for three days, attempting to pretend that everything was returning to normal, when really, our entire worlds were shifting around us.

Ric had come and gone. Amongst tears from Sally and even Cassie, we'd bid him a sad farewell the second morning after we'd arrived home. He'd be halfway to Queensland by now, well on his way to living a new life. Well on his way to forgetting his old one.

The rents', they'd asked minimal questions about the trip and what had happened. I'd even managed to give Mum a polite answer when she asked after Henry, and how he and Hilary had enjoyed themselves. Either they were too blind, or too clever, but in any instance, they'd kept their nose out of all things private and personal. And for that, I was more than pleased. Because I was still getting my head around… everything. And this morning. Today, and everything that came after it, none of that was going to help either.

Tony and Mum were standing gleefully in the front room, with the local paper sitting on the table infront of them. Both were grinning from ear to ear and the papers pages were a little crumpled, a sure sign that the news was good. I smiled weirdly at them before looking up at Luke.

"Holden comes before Hunter. You go first." I managed to get out, as he squeezed my hand again, before reaching down towards the paper and flipping it open. I squeezed my eyes shut as he reached the 'H' page, and almost stopped breathing when I heard him let out an almost strangled gasp, before quietly saying. "I got in. To Canberra." He said.

I opened my eyes to watch as Tony pulled him into a tight hug. Scanning the page quickly, I found _L.A.Holden. 82638. _His dream course. Scrolling a little further, I found _M.J. Hunter. 52817._

I looked up to Mum striding towards me, as she took me in her arms tightly. "You did it Matilda. You both did it." She said, letting go of me and bringing Luke into a hug.

I turned, overwhelmed, to Tony, who hugged me gently.

"I'm proud of you Maddie." He said quietly, and I smiled gratefully up at him, knowing he would not make as much of a fuss as Mum was about to.

"We're both so proud of you both. You worked hard and did so well, so this calls for celebration. I've organised a party for this afternoon to congratulate the two of you, and of course, Cassie, for doing so well this year, and as a partial going away party, because soon our babies will be leaving us." She said to Tony, as she teared up.

"Oh Mum." I sighed, pulling her into a hug. "You didn't have to organise a party."

"But I did. Because I really am so very proud of the both of you." She said, pulling Luke into the hug too. "And I'm going to miss you both so much. I know Canberra is further away than Sydney Lucas, but I'm expecting visits at least once a month." She said sternly, as Luke laughed.

"Sure Beth." He said, looking away from me as I tried to catch his eyes. "Once a month."

-

The noises of the excited Summer Bay residents could be heard far and wide that afternoon, but only the tail end of their celebrations reached me on the beach that afternoon.

"Skipping out on your own party is so not cool." I heard a familiar voice say from behind me, and I turned a little to see Luke approaching me.

"Look who's talking." I replied as he sat down next to me. His gaze went straight to the ocean, and he looked like he was a million miles from here… and that place wasn't a happy one either.

"For someone who found out they are going to get to do their dream course, you don't seem to be very happy." I said finally, as he sighed and continued to look out across the ocean.

"That night," He began finally "I meant every word that I said." He paused, picking up a rock and throwing out towards the waves that were crashing gently against the shore. "But I didn't think it would feel this, final, you know?"

"What did you expect it to feel like?" I asked, almost shocked by his confession.

"Not like this. It's like someone's repeatedly kicking me in the gut, and I can't fight back. I can't stand up." He said honestly, turning to face me.

"Like, despite everything, nothing that's happened will matter any more. From here on in, it's day by day, just see where it goes?" I asked, as he shook his head.

"No. Like this is it." He paused again. "The end."

I sat silently for a minute, digesting the enormity of his words. He'd been so sure four nights ago. Proclaiming his love for me in the middle of a thunderstorm. He'd almost had be convinced. Now he was going back on his word?

"I don't know Luke." I said finally. "I don't know about anything any more."

Together we sat in silence, watching the sun sink slowly behind the horizon, as the pinks and purples merged with the dark blues of the night sky, a sense of uncertainty hanging in the air.

Maybe, just maybe, I wasn't the only one who was lost any more. Maybe Luke was feeling a little lost too. I looked towards him, and smiled a little when he caught my eye. He took my hand softly in his, and locked our fingers together, squeezing it in a reassuring manner. For a second, I felt better.

"What is it with you Hunters and Holden's skipping out on your parties?" I heard Cassie yell, and I jumped up quickly and ran towards her.

"Hey there roommate." I said, hugging her tightly. "Looks like you're stuck with me for the next four years." I cried happily, as she hugged me back.

"Yeah, you better be able to clean, because I plan on having a _ton _of parties." She said, smiling broadly at me.

"Sounds like a plan to me" I replied, stepping out of the hug as I saw Luke walking towards us.

"I think I'll head back up to the party." He said, "We can't have all three guests of honor missing. Oh, and these are for you." He said, pulling out two small packages from behind his back and handing them to Cassie and I. "Just to remember us." He said cryptically, as he walked off.

I looked at Cassie, who returned my confused look, and shrugged before she sat down on the sand and opened the package. I followed suit, and found myself looking at a crimson coloured journal. Opening the front page, I found myself looking at three pictures.

The first of Luke and I at the beginning of the summer. We'd been mucking around on the beach, posing for photos, and this had been one that Cassie had taken in between the poses, when we'd been mucking around. I was smiling at Luke, while he watched me lovingly. Cradled in his arms gently, the photo was a little blurred, and I'd fallen in love with it the moment I'd seen it.

The second, was Cassie and I, taken one night before we'd gone out. We'd been looking in the mirror, applying last minute gloss and shine, and Luke had snapped captured the moment. He and Ric later claimed that over the course of the year Cass and I had spent more time in that pose than looking at them.

They had been fibbing, of course.

The final picture was of the four of us. Laughing at something that Hyde had said at graduation, Mum had, in her camera happy state, captured this little gem. I couldn't remember a time when we'd laughed so hard… or when we'd been so carefree and happy.

I flicked the page over to find Luke's familiar scrawl taking up half a page. I looked up, and caught Cassie's eye. Her eyes were misted over as she looked back down to her own journal, and smiled. Suddenly, what Luke had written would be trivial… at least for now. Because my best friend was crying out for help.

"It's from Ric." She mumbled quietly. "He said this is for me to remember him, and remember us. And that no matter what happens, I want you to know that I'll always be there for you. Because you're my friend, first and foremost, and I hope that you and I never lose that. Just know that I'll always be thinking about you. Love Ric."

She smiled through her tears towards me, and I opened my arms as she fell into them, and let the tears fall.

-

Later that night, alone in my room, I opened the journal for the second time, and flipped Luke's note.

_Maddie,_

_Since that day that you and Beth came to welcome us, I've always known that you were special. What I never imagined was the kind of relationship we'd fall into. I love you more than anything in this world, and I need you to always remember that. _

_No matter what happens in the future, I will always love you, and I will always be one phone call away, if you ever need saving, or just to see me, and I'll be there in a heartbeat. _

_Live your life Maddie, and don't let anything, or anyone, hold you back._

_Love Always, Lucas._

_-_

_-_

_-_

AN: And its over. Jade, I want to say that you've helped me so much throughout this story, bouncing back ideas with me, and it's meant so much. I hope that we'll be able to work so well together on the sequel.

Oh, did I forget to mention it? No, of course not. There will be another story, making the three a trilogy. But, it will not be started for at least two weeks. I'm resting from my Summer stories, and focusing on _Saving Grace…_ and maybe another one. But I promise there will be more.

Thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed this story, even if you didn't review, I'm glad you liked it all the same, and stuck it out till the end. To my faithful reviews on BttB, and here on you're reviews made me soldier on, thank you for enjoying this story.


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